Mandie and the Reservation Conspiracy
by InTheImprovementOfHerMind
Summary: the sequel to "Mandie and the Forest Path" - Mandie and her friends travel to visit Mandie's Cherokee kinspeople after receiving word that there is trouble on the reservation. When they arrive, it seems that Tsa'ni, Mandie's troublesome cousin, may be the only one who truly knows what's going on.
1. Chapter 1

**So... "February"... hahahahahhhaha. I'm a horrible person. Although TECHNICALLY, it isn't the end of February yet. I never specified which year. Seriously though, I am so sorry for ditching you all like that. I think even I would hate me by now. I guess I don't really love Richard Armitage like I thought I did (jk Richard I totally love you). And you know what the best part is? I've had over half of this new story written since summer! But, as always, I am a major procrastinator, and I was panicking because I was halfway through and I wasn't sure how to end it (still not) and I was worrying over how much MandieXJoe stuff to put in and I was agonizing over how to write an ACTUAL mystery because it is so unbelievably hard to do that. Writing a mystery is almost impossible when you're as bad at it as I am. You have to like... have clues and everything in the story. Still trying to figure that one out, so apologies for the lack of clues or the really crappy mystery woven in and out.  
Anyway. This first chapter will be short (soorrrrrryyyy), because I couldn't find a reasonable spot to cut it off later on while still keeping it as an introduction. The other entries will, of course, be much longer and filled with lots of poorly executed attempts at mystery writing (I should probably stop talking about that now). I also haven't read through and done some serious editing yet, so just ignore the inevitable mistakes in grammar and/or spelling. **

**Again, I'm really sorry about that whole "making you wait an entire year thing when I promised it would be up in a month" but hey, what's a few horribly broken promises between friends?**

 **Since most of the reviews on** _Mandie and the Forest Path_ **are geared toward letting me know what a despicable human being I am (which is true), I won't address each of them personally like I usually do (but I will continue doing that with each new chapter!). So to everyone who told me how much they liked my first story and all of the wonderful compliments they gave me: thank you! Thank you so much, they meant the world to me! And to those who asked for the next story: I'm sorry for the wait, but here it is! Thanks for sticking by me, and for letting me know you were still interested. I wouldn't be writing another one without your support :)**

 **To my faithful readers and reviewers like** Neon-Night-Light **(who writes an awesome Mandie fanfic that is so amazing and perfect) and** Jeaninelovesu **: thank you for your continued support and constructive criticism and especially for never failing to review! I love seeing what you have to say and I hope you read my new story!**

 **Finally, I'd like to address a couple of questions/concerns I got during my last story that I will answer here for future reference:**

 **The lack of Mandie's twin siblings: Carl and Carol or whatever their names are. It's true, I did leave them out of my story, for a couple of reasons. One, they didn't really add anything to the plot of the Mandie College book except for random "oh here are those kids" scenes, or "yeah these are my baby siblings but they're not really important to the story so let's just leave them with my mom and go solve the mystery." And two, I felt that their inclusion was far-fetched and unrealistic. While it's nice that Mandie's mother and Uncle John got to have two kids of their own, it didn't seem very believable to me. Elizabeth, while certainly still able to bear children, is around 40 years old, has nearly died of a horrible fever, not to mention the fact that there were definitely some complications with Samuel's birth. I just didn't see the plausibility in the birth of the twins, and regardless of that, they added little to the story. So, I'm very sorry, but no Carl and Carol (if those aren't their actual names, please correct me because I don't remember).**

 **Mandie and Joe: first and foremost, I must point out that this is a regular Mandie mystery (even though I can't write mysteries), NOT a love story. Of course, Mandie and Joe are a central part of the Mandie books, and are, of course, the central characters, so there will continue to be pleeeenty of development between them. But it's not JUST about them. In my last story, there was an instance where Joe didn't become the usual adorably jealous Joe that we know and love during a completely platonic Mandie/Jonathan instance. I had decided to leave that out because I wanted to show that Joe was maturing, but I realize now that even Joe at his most-mature-lawyer-of-the-year-stage would show at least a little bit of displeasure at the mere thought of JONATHAN, his RIVAL, CARRYING MANDIE... IN HIS ARMS! HOW DARE HE! So, yeah, I should have brought back immature Joe for that scene, and I apologize. But again, I want to stress in my stories that these characters we grew up with are, in fact, growing up themselves and are well on their way to becoming mature, if reckless and typically foolish, adults.**

 **Some readers were annoyed by the fact that Elizabeth was being typically Elizabeth, and therefore extremely annoying, by continuing to smother Mandie. A reviewer pointed out that since Mandie _is_ nearing adulthood, her mother should really lay off sometimes and let her make her own decisions. They're right, of course, and that's also something I'm leading up to, and something I showed a little bit in my previous story. Mandie will be asserting her independence more and more, and we can all be assured that Elizabeth will (eventually) back off.**

 **ANYWAY. With all of THAT now out of the way (really, though, props to anyone who actually read all of that): enjoy the very first and very late chapter of** _Mandie and the Reservation Conspiracy_ **! (I still hate that title).**

* * *

The uneven gait of the wagon jolted Mandie from her thoughts as she and her companions made their way through the Nantahala Mountains, to visit Mandie's Cherokee kinspeople. They had risen well before dawn that morning, packing their supplies into the wagon and forcing down an early breakfast.

The sun's position in the sky told Mandie that it was still a few hours before noontime. They were making good time, for which she was very glad. With each mile they covered, she became more increasingly anxious to arrive at the reservation and get to the bottom of whatever was going on there. She thought once again of Dimar's message about the strange happenings on the border of the reservation. What were the men looking for—and why did the strange Indian back in Franklin wish to keep her from finding out?

"You've been awfully quiet for the last hour, Mandie," Joe observed, once again startling Mandie out of her reverie. She glanced sideways at him. He and Jonathan had opted to travel on horseback, so that there would be enough room for all of the girls in the wagon. Secretly, Mandie wished she had brought a horse along as well. There was nothing as tiring as a long wagon ride, and she had already abandoned her seat and walked alongside several times.

"Just thinking," Mandie finally replied, turning in her seat to look at Joe. "I've been getting terribly worried about Tsa'ni, Joe. I know you think he's involved in whatever this big mystery is, but I'm afraid he's in trouble."

Celia and Sallie were resting in the back of the wagon, along with Snowball, who had been surprisingly quiet and well-behaved, and Jonathan was a little ways ahead, "showing off his expert equestrian skills," as he put it—much to Joe's amusement. Uncle Ned was sitting beside her, but his attention never left the horses. Besides, she knew she could speak freely in front of Uncle Ned. He had always been there for her and heard all of her troubles.

Joe leaned forward in his saddle and ran his long fingers through his thick hair. Mandie subconsciously smiled at the familiar effort, as she always did. It was something Joe had always done, ever since she'd known him.

"I guess we won't know until we get there," Joe answered, shrugging. "I suppose there is a chance that he's in trouble, and if that's the case, I of course want to find him. But you have to admit, Tsa'ni's been responsible for a lot of mischief in the past."

"That may be true, but he is my cousin and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt," Mandie said firmly. "I just have a feeling that he needs our help."

Joe frowned but made no reply. Mandie looked at Uncle Ned, who spared his attention from the reins a moment to smile at her.

"Papoose good heart," he said, laying a wrinkled hand on top of hers. "Tsa'ni see that one day."

Joe muttered something under his breath, but Mandie ignored him, smiling her thanks at Uncle Ned.

"I hope so, Uncle Ned," she said fervently. "There's a lot of bad history between Tsa'ni and I, but we've helped each other out more than once."

"How many times d'you think Jonathan's actually ridden a horse?" Joe asked, changing the subject, as he eyed Jonathan critically.

Mandie laughed. "Not too many, judging by his stiff style. He hasn't relaxed the entire trip!"

Joe shook his head. "'Expert equestrian,' my foot. I've seen him drop his reins twice now."

Even Uncle Ned grinned. "He learn," the old Indian assured them. "Soon ride as good as Joe here."

"Hmm," said Joe, his brows drawn together in a skeptical look. Mandie had to admit that Jonathan showed no promise of being a fast learner. Joe, however, looked perfectly natural on the back of a horse. She supposed it was his country-upbringing, and she did her best to ignore how attractive he looked at the moment. Dust streaked his face and arms, making him appear even more tanned than usual, and his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, his lean, brown arms giving him a frontiersman look. Mandie had always preferred that over a city-slicker appearance. Joe caught her eye, and she blushed, embarrassed to have been caught staring. She jerked her head away immediately, and re-focused her attention on the road. She supposed she must look a sight, with her face and calico dress covered in dust, and her hair slipping out of the coiled braid she had hastily pinned to the top of her head that morning. _Get a hold of yourself, Mandie Shaw,_ she scolded herself. When had she ever cared so much about her appearance?

"Do you suppose Jonathan would be insulted if I suggested he take riding lessons?" Celia asked from behind Mandie.

Mandie turned to grin at her friend, while Joe chuckled. "Knowing Jonathan, probably. Why? Are you offering?"

Celia's gaze took on a shadow of sorrow, but only for a moment. "No, I couldn't—not that he would ever listen to me, anyway."

Mandie sighed and reached over to grasp her friend's hand. "Oh, Celia, you have to ride again someday. I think your Father would want you to."

Celia shrugged, a little self-consciously. "I have ridden now and then, but always in a ring. I just cannot bring myself to fall back in love with it—not since he died."

"It's frightening, I understand," Mandie said quietly. "And I'm sure it must feel disloyal to your father's memory, in a way. But he would want you to be happy, Celia. Just like my father would want me to be happy. Doing the things we loved to do together makes me feel closer to him ever since he… ever since I lost him."

"Maybe," said Celia. She smiled and patted Mandie's hand. "I'll try, Mandie. One day."

"I'm glad," Mandie told her, and then looked across to Sallie, who had watched the exchange between them silently, her dark eyes filled with understanding.

"I am glad I have friends like you," Sallie said with sincerity. "I feel like we understand one another, because we have all suffered loss."

"I feel the same way, Sallie," Mandie agreed. "I hope we'll always be there for each other." She smiled brightly, changing the subject to lighten the mood. "I don't know about either of you, but I'll sure be glad when this trip is over. I don't believe it's ever felt this long."

Sallie returned her smile. "That is because you are itching to get started on this mystery, Mandie," she teased.

"And get out of this wagon," Mandie added ruefully.

Joe, still riding alongside them, leaned towards the girls and said, "You're welcome to ride with me if you want, Mandie."

Celia's eyebrows rose and Mandie felt her cheeks heat as she avoided Joe's gaze.

"Thank you, Joe, but that's alright," Mandie stammered. "I'll stay with Sallie and Celia." She squared her shoulders. "But next time, I think I'll bring along a horse of my own!"

Joe shrugged and guided his horse away from the wagon. "Suit yourself," he said, before spurring it to catch up with Jonathan.

Uncle Ned kept his eyes straight ahead, a knowing smile on his face, and Mandie settled into a meek silence, feeling Celia's and Sallie's gazes on her. They all seemed extremely unconcerned with the mystery that awaited them, but Mandie wasn't about to let herself get sidetracked. She could still picture Tsa'ni's jacket in her mind, and somehow, she knew he needed help. Joe or no Joe, she planned to find him.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it! (enough to read the next chapter at least). I won't be making promises about the next entry, since I clearly am a major fail at keeping those, but never despair! The story will be finished and the entries will be posted as long as I have breath in my body and coffee in my cup!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! And it's still 2016! Thank you all for the kind reviews on the first chapter of this story, and for waiting patiently for this next part. I have done a *little* editing, so hopefully the grammar/spelling isn't** too **atrocious, but usually my eyes start to glaze over after about 2 ½ minutes of editing, so... yeah.**

 **Anyway, I've been attempting to clean the story up here and there, especially the mystery aspect (*insert long, painful groan of a dying person*), but as I said before, over half of it is already written—this means that 1) you can expect *somewhat* regularish updates, and 2) you can also probably expect some issues with continuity because I might have forgotten, by the end of the story, what I wrote during the summer, or even way back during** Mandie and the Forest Path **. Hopefully I'm able to remember everything, though!**

 **I've also taken a few "liberties" with the original books, just to make my stories flow together. For instance, I have NO idea whether or not, say, Celia and Jonathan have met Riley O'Neal before. I think they might all have been at Mandie's graduation, but I don't know that for sure. In my story, they haven't met. To my recollection, I don't believe Celia and Jonathan have even been to the Reservation. It's far more likely that Celia has, rather than Jonathan, at least. In this story, it's Jonathan's first visit. Any other small things you might notice and think: "that seems a bit different from the books"-it's probably only another small thing I've changed, for the sake of** my **story making more sense.**

 **Also, you might notice random geography facts and/or genealogy slipped in here and there. That was purely for my own benefit. While I was writing last summer, I was very interested in the exact locations of Mandie's travels in NC, as well as the approximate timeline of her family/friends. I spent a couple of days looking at maps of Franklin/Charley Gap/the Nantahala Mountains/the Cherokee reservation in NC/surrounding areas, and even the ones that Lois added in a couple of the earlier books. I ended up drawing up my own map of the areas for a reference while I was writing, and then I started trying to figure out everybody's exact age and who-was-born-when. That actually turned out to be more difficult. Mandie's birthdate is basically the only exact one that we're given, besides a couple of birth-years for some other characters. I used whatever facts I found in the books, along with some dates from the movies, to make a basic timeline from Mandie's grandparents to her and her friends. Most of the birth-years are approximate; I did a lot of adding and subtracting from the dates/ages I knew for sure... anyway, the point of the story is that since I wasted so much effort on such random facts, and since I then had homemade maps, timelines, and family trees stuck up all around my desk, I figured I might as well include my discoveries in the story!**

 **The reviews:**

TheWint3rWolfAlchemist24: **my first reviewer once again! Thank you for sticking with me!**

Neon-Night-Light: **that's happened to me too many times to count... and I can never remember what I said the first time! And I promise: I would never abandon you guys without at least having the courage to say something! I would just, you know, disappear for a year and then act like nothing happened and no time had passed... thank you for the kind words, as always! I'm thrilled you like it so much, and I'm glad you understand about mystery writing. It's painful. Basically, despite what I said about my first story, we all know that it's not** _ **really**_ **about the mysteries. It's about MandieXJoe ;) jk it's about the mysteries and the character development of course, but they are definitely a primary focus... anyway, thanks again! NOW UPDATE YOUR STORY.**

LovetheLORD: **thank you thank you thank you! That is the best compliment I could get, because that is exactly what I'm trying to achieve! I want to give Mandie fans like myself a feel for the actual books, since we all miss them so much.**

Annefan (guest): **thank you! I'm so glad you liked it, and I'm glad everyone seems to be okay with me cutting Carl and Carol out. I hope you like this chapter!**

Guest: **the fact that you are so happy to read my humble tributes to Lois Gladys Leppard's wonderful series is amazing to me—thank you! I'm so glad there are fans I can share my work with, so we can enjoy the Mandie books together! An update schedule would be very nice of me, wouldn't it? Alas, being the carefree procrastinator that I am, I'm not sure if I could force myself to commit... I will give it some thought, though! And yeah,** The Thorns of Love **defo needs to be updated...**

Guest: **thank you! I'm always worried about not presenting the characters correctly, so it's a relief to hear that I'm still doing an okay job! Your kinds words mean the world to me, and you can rest assured that there will be plenty of MandieXJoe in this story!**

Jorgi188: **thank you very much, and here is the next chapter for you!**

* * *

"We're here!" said Mandie excitedly, as soon as the cabins of Deep Creek came into view. "Finally!" It was well after noon, and Mandie couldn't wait to be rid of the tiresome wagon. Before Uncle Ned could even think about reining the horse to a halt, Mandie had hopped out of the seat and was hurrying towards Uncle Ned's cabin on foot, Snowball on her heels.

"That's hardly the best way to treat that ankle of yours, Mandie," Joe pointed out, guiding his horse to walk alongside Mandie.

"Joe Woodard, sometimes I wonder why you didn't follow in your father's footsteps and become a doctor!" Mandie retorted.

Joe grinned in spite of himself. "We both know why, Mandie."

Mandie stopped short, glancing up at him in surprise. "What ever does that mean?"

Joe's smile widened. "Don't you remember, Mandie? I only decided to become a lawyer because I wanted to get your father's house back for you, and then you would—"

"Oh, yes, that's right," Mandie interrupted quickly, feeling her face flush. "I remember now."

"I thought you might," said Joe. He left to rejoin Jonathan, whistling. Mandie watched him go for a few moments, wondering why in the world he was in such a confounded good mood.

Movement ahead caught her eye, and she turned to see Uncle Ned's wife, Morning Star, coming out of their cabin.

"Morning Star!" Mandie cried, rushing to greet her. The old Indian squaw held out her arms to embrace her. Mandie kissed her brown, weathered cheek and flung her arms around her neck.

"It's so good to see you, Morning Star," Mandie said, leaning back to smile up at her. "I've really missed you."

Morning Star returned her smile and smoothed back Mandie's hair. She pressed a hand to her heart and gestured to the cabin. "Home," she said.

Mandie grasped her hand and nodded. "Yes, Morning Star, I've come home." It was true, she reflected, as she stepped back to let the others greet Morning Star; the home of her Cherokee kinspeople felt like her home, in many ways. Her father's land in Charley Gap would always take first place in her heart, and Uncle John's mansion in Franklin was of course her home now, but she felt a special connection with the Cherokee land. It held many pieces of her, and she would always return to it.

"Something sure smells good," Joe remarked, coming up behind her. He and Jonathan had dismounted, and Mandie turned to gesture to the barn.

"Y'all had better get the horses settled in Uncle Ned's barn before we eat," she advised.

Joe nodded and Uncle Ned replied, "Yes. Horses in barn, then we eat."

Sallie smiled at her grandmother. "Morning Star made plenty of cornbread and fried chicken, so do not be too long."

"Just try and keep me away!" Jonathan warned with a grin, as he followed Joe to the barn.

Mandie, Celia, and Sallie watched them go until Morning Star pointed to the house again. "Come," she said. "Wash. Eat."

Sallie laughed. "I do believe my grandmother is saying that we are too dirty to eat just yet."

Mandie grinned. "Morning Star's right. I'm covered in dust."

"Me too," said Celia. "I'm sure I must look a sight."

"Come," said Sallie, leading the way into the house. "Morning Star will have filled the washbowl in our room. We can freshen up before the boys come back from the barn."

They followed Sallie up the ladder into the loft, passing Snowball who was sitting obediently by the kitchen stove, waiting for Morning Star to fix him a plate of scraps.

Once upstairs, Mandie gratefully took the clean cloth Sallie handed her and splashed water on her dusty face. She quickly cleaned herself off and repaired her hair, pinning the re-coiled braid firmly back in place. Though she knew it must irritate her Grandmother Taft to no end, Mandie preferred keeping her hairstyles simple, especially when she left school. She found that they were much sturdier that way, rather than fixing them in the elaborate styles she had seen other girls using. Sometimes she envied Sallie's long, black, ever-present braid, but she knew that neither her grandmother nor her mother would allow her to continue keeping her hair in a braid. She barely knew how she had gotten away with it during the past week, although she supposed they only minded when she was out among society.

"I'm ready," Celia announced, after Sallie helped her tuck a final pin in her auburn curls.

"I am too," Mandie said, heading for the ladder. "Let's go back down. I can hear Joe and Jonathan, so they must be finished."

They rejoined the others, and Mandie took a seat at the table, between Joe and Sallie. Morning Star smiled at them and began passing around the food.

"Everything smells wonderful, Morning Star," Mandie told her, patting her hand as she passed.

"Sure does," Joe said, taking a big piece of cornbread before passing the platter to Mandie.

Morning Star smiled her thanks and set about preparing Snowball's scraps. Once she was seated, Uncle Ned gave thanks, and Mandie and her friends settled into easy conversation as they ate.

"So what do you think of everything so far, Jonathan?" Mandie asked, leaning forward to look down the table at Jonathan.

"I love it!" said Jonathan. "I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of your kinsfolk. This is all so exciting compared to living in a city like New York. I don't care if I never see another train or automobile in my life! What did you say those two rivers we crossed were called?"

Mandie smiled at his excitement and accepted the coffee Sallie was handing her. "We crossed the Tuckasegee River and the Little Tennessee River," she answered him. "We travel mostly along Tomahawk Trail through the Nantahala Mountains. The Nantahala River runs west of the Little Tennessee River and Charley Gap."

Jonathan frowned. "I was hoping we would stop in Charley Gap so I could see where you and Joe grew up."

"We will on the way back to Franklin," Mandie promised him. "I think we all wanted to get here as quickly as possible, seeing the trouble that's being stirred up."

"Well, I sure would prefer living in mountains like this than the bustle and smoke of New York," Jonathan said reflectively. "You are all lucky to have grown up in the country."

Mandie exchanged a smile with Joe. "I think so, too," she said. "I like New York, and all the other cities I've visited, but I prefer good old Charley Gap."

"I don't know which I prefer," said Celia. "I love living in North Carolina, but all the places we've seen—like St. Augustine, Mandie. Don't you think that old city is beautiful? I love all the history it has."

"You girls still need to come visit me at college in New Orleans," Joe put in. "It has plenty of history, and it's an amazing city."

"Maybe we could come visit you next school year on break," Mandie suggested. She looked across the table at Uncle Ned. "And I'm sure Uncle Ned would show up at some point, too!"

Uncle Ned nodded seriously. "I make promise. Watch over Jim Shaw papoose. I go to New Orleans."

Mandie pushed away her empty plate and looked expectantly at Uncle Ned. "What are we going to do about those men, Uncle Ned?" she asked. "Do you plan to go to Bird-town? Will there be a council meeting?"

"Will travel to Bird-town tonight," Uncle Ned replied. "Papoose and friends rest, come to Bird-town tomorrow. Find Dimar, look for Tsa'ni."

"Does Dimar live in Bird-town?" Jonathan asked.

Mandie shook her head. "No, Dimar and his mother Jerusha live in a little cabin in the mountains. It is not too far from Bird-town."

Morning Star looked at Uncle Ned, her face grim, and spoke to him in Cherokee.

Sallie frowned and turned to Mandie. "Morning Star says that Tsa'ni has been missing nearly three days now, and she has not seen Dimar since two days ago."

"Oh, shucks!" said Mandie, blowing out her breath. "I was counting on having Dimar help us look, but now it appears he is missing as well!"

"He might just not have been to Deep Creek the past two days," Joe reminded her. "Someone in Bird-town might have seen him. I'm sure his mother knows where he is."

"Joe is right," Sallie agreed. "I am sure we will find him when we go to Bird-town. And we can also visit Mr. O'Neal and ask if he has seen them."

"Who's this Mr. O'Neal?" Jonathan asked.

"Riley O'Neal is a missionary," Mandie explained. "He runs the Cherokee schoolhouse. We can stop and see him on our way to Bird-town."

She finished the rest of her coffee and then hopped up to help Morning Star clear the table. Morning Star squinted at her and made a shooing gesture with her hands. "Out," she said firmly. "No help."

Mandie grinned and held up her hands in surrender. "One of these days I am going make you let me help clean up, Morning Star," she said.

Uncle Ned stood suddenly and spoke to Morning Star in Cherokee. She nodded, and he said, "I go now to Bird-town. Ride horse, leave wagon for Papoose."

"Thank you, Uncle Ned," Mandie said. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow. We'll get up real early and be on our way."

He nodded. "Braves say men still near northwest border. Message from Dimar also say."

Her friends all agreed, and after Uncle Ned left, they used whatever daylight they had left to show Jonathan around the Deep Creek settlement. Mandie spoke to several of the Indians about Tsa'ni, but it appeared that no one could remember seeing him for at least three days.

After night had fallen, they all returned the cabin to get some sleep, with plans to get up at dawn the next morning. Mandie was anxious to be on their way to Bird-town in the morning, and to look for Dimar. She still felt that Tsa'ni was in trouble. She could only hope that they wouldn't be too late in finding him.

Mandie woke up the following morning long before the others. She dressed quietly, not wanting to wake Celia and Sallie after their long day yesterday, and then went downstairs, taking Snowball with her. It was still dark out, telling her dawn was perhaps an hour or so away, but Morning Star was awake. She smiled when she saw Mandie and patted the table, before turning to prepare coffee. Mandie set Snowball down by the fireplace and sat down at the table. She pulled her shawl tighter around her and stood back up, walking around to join Morning Star.

"Can I help you with breakfast?" Mandie asked, making sure to keep her voice low. She wasn't sure when the others would wake up, and she didn't want to just sit at the table for an hour.

Morning Star frowned at her, and Mandie pointed to the huge fireplace Morning Star used for cooking. "Help," Mandie said, trying to remember the Cherokee word for "cook." She resolved to work harder with Sallie to learn more of the language. Morning Star seemed to understand, however, because she pursed her lips for a moment, and then smiled.

"Help," she agreed, and set her to work making biscuits. They worked silently together in the quiet room, Morning Star instructing her in the measuring of ingredients and showing her how to pat the dough out into circles. Mandie wasn't sure of the last time she had done any real cooking—probably not since she lived with her stepmother, back in Charley Gap. Mandie loved Aunt Lou and Jenny and the rest of Uncle John's servants, but she decided that if she ever lived on her own, she would do her own cooking, like Morning Star.

After they finished preparing the meal and cleaning up after themselves, Morning Star ushered Mandie back to the table and they sat together in silence, drinking coffee. Mandie couldn't remember when she'd had a more peaceful morning.

The sun was rising now, as breakfast cooked, and Mandie could hear her friends waking up and moving around. She turned when Sallie and Celia came down the ladder.

"Good morning," Mandie greeted them, pouring cups of coffee.

"How long have you been up, Mandie?" Celia asked in amazement, taking the cup Mandie handed her with her good arm and sitting beside her.

Mandie shrugged. "Oh, a little over an hour, maybe. I just couldn't sleep any longer. Morning Star and I kept each other company, right? She even let me help her make breakfast!"

Morning Star smiled and patted Mandie's shoulder.

"I do not understand how you were not more tired after these past few days," Sallie remarked.

"Too wrapped up in all this mystery, I guess," Mandie replied, grinning. "You know I can't rest when something needs to be solved!"

"They beat us again!" Jonathan said in disbelief, as he and Joe entered. "I don't believe it."

Mandie laughed. "Don't you prefer when breakfast is all ready by the time you wake up?"

"She's got a point," Jonathan said, elbowing Joe. "There's nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn and coming down to a hot meal."

"'Crack of dawn,'" Sallie repeated, smiling. "Mandie's been up for an hour!"

"And she helped cook breakfast," Celia added.

"Well, I'm feeling very lazy," Jonathan joked. "I guess Joe and I will have to get up even earlier tomorrow and beat you to making breakfast!"

"Morning Star will never let you within an inch of her fireplace," Mandie replied, laughing again. "Now come on, we need to hurry up and eat! I'm aching to be on our way to Bird-town."

"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't just go without us," Jonathan teased.

Mandie took the plate of biscuits that Morning Star passed her. "Believe me, I thought about it once or twice," she assured him.

Joe was seated across from Mandie this morning, and she realized that he had remained silent during her and Jonathan's exchange. She looked over at him, and he turned and smiled at her. She suddenly wondered if Joe would prefer having a cook, like Mrs. Miller, or having his wife cook, and then blushed at the thought. Of course, she knew that Joe, like her, thought of marriage as an equal partnership, so maybe she would make _him_ cook.

"What are you smiling about, Mandie?" Celia questioned her, bringing Mandie quickly back to reality.

Mandie colored again and took a hasty gulp of coffee. "Oh, nothing," she answered, and then turned to Sallie to change the subject. "Sallie, would you please ask Morning Star if it's alright to leave Snowball here? I've had far too many unpleasant experiences dragging him around the mountains with me to want to do it again."

"Good thinking," Joe agreed with a grin.

Sallie spoke quickly with Morning Star and then said to Mandie, "Morning Star says that is fine. She says she will take care of the white cat."

Mandie smiled her thanks at Morning Star. "Thank you, Morning Star," she said. "I sure appreciate it."

Morning Star spoke to Sallie again and stood to clear the dishes.

"She says that we should go now, so we can get to Bird-town early," Sallie translated. "She will give us some food to take with us."

"I'm finished," said Joe, getting to his feet. "I can go get the wagon ready. Coming, Jonathan?"

Jonathan nodded and shoved down the rest of his breakfast, before heading outside with Joe.

Morning Star allowed Mandie and Celia to stack the dishes up for her, but then she pressed a basket in Sallie's hand and shooed them out the door.

"I guess she's telling us it's time to go," Mandie surmised with a grin.

"Look, the boys have the wagon all ready," Celia said.

"How is your wrist, Celia?" Mandie asked her, as they headed for the wagon.

"It feels fine," Celia assured her. "Dr. Woodard told me to keep it as still as possible, so the wagon ride jolted it a little bit, but Sallie re-wrapped it this morning and fixed my sling. What about your ankle?"

"I barely even notice it," Mandie said. "The swelling's gone, and I'm keeping it wrapped up."

"You girls ready?" Joe called to them, standing by the uncovered wagon.

"We're ready," Mandie answered. She, Celia, and Sallie climbed into the wagon-bed and Jonathan sat in the front with Joe, who was driving. Sallie directed Joe to several short-cuts through the woods, and it was still early in the morning by the time they neared Riley O'Neal's schoolhouse.

"He lives just through those trees," Mandie said. "Joe, let's leave the cart here and walk over, instead of driving it off the trail."

"Good idea," Joe agreed, halting the horses and jumping down to tie them to a tree.

Mandie and Sallie helped Celia out of the wagon and then hurried to join the boys, who were already heading for the schoolhouse.

"I sure hope he knows something about Tsa'ni or Dimar," Mandie said.

"If he is even home," Sallie put in.

"Yes, sometimes he's—oh, there he is! Look, he's out drying clothes on a line," Mandie said, pointing ahead as Riley O'Neal's house came into view. The red-haired missionary looked up at their approach and returned Mandie's wave.

"Hello, Sallie," he said pleasantly when they neared him. He set down his basket of linens and crossed over to them, his gaze settling on Mandie.

"Well, now, Miss Amanda," he said, reaching out to grasp her hand in an overly-friendly way. Mandie fidgeted, uncomfortable as always with his attention. She could feel Joe stiffening up beside her, and extracted her hand from Mr. O'Neal's grip.

"How are you, Mr. O'Neal?" she asked, returning his smile.

His smile widened. "A thousand times better now that you are here for a visit—you and your friends, of course."

Jonathan snorted behind her, and Mandie could feel her neck heating up.

She cleared her throat pointedly and said, "Allow me to introduce some friends of mine, Mr. O'Neal. I don't think you've met Celia Hamilton or Jonathan Guyer." She stepped aside as Jonathan and Riley shook hands.

"The Third," Jonathan added importantly.

"Beg pardon?" said Riley.

"Jonathan Guyer the Third," Jonathan informed him.

"Ah, I see," was the missionary's bewildered reply. Joe rolled his eyes and Mandie wasn't sure if she should elbow him or Jonathan.

"And this is Celia," Mandie prompted, pushing her hesitant friend forward when Mr. O'Neal's eyes strayed back to Mandie. "Celia was at my graduation party, but I don't remember y'all being introduced."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. O'Neal," said Celia.

"Enchanted," he replied, shaking her hand as well. "Now, what can I do for you folks today?"

"We're looking for my cousin, Tsa'ni," Mandie told him. "We were wondering if you might have seen him?"

Riley frowned, and rubbed his chin with his hand. "No, can't say that I have," he said finally, placing his hands on his hips. "Not for a few days, at least. I can't pretend that your cousin stops by all that much, but I do see him from time to time. But like I said, not for these four or five days together."

Mandie exhaled loudly. "Shucks," she said, and turned to her friends. "It looks like not a single soul has seen Tsa'ni for the past few days. I don't even know where to start looking for him."

"What about Dimar, Mr. O'Neal?" Sallie asked. "We thought he would be here when we arrived, but Morning Star said she hasn't seen him since two days ago."

Riley hooked his thumbs in his suspenders. "I saw Dimar maybe three days ago, but not since. Why? Is something going on that I should be aware of?"

"Dimar sent Uncle Ned a message three days ago," Mandie explained, "About those men at the north western border of the reservation. He was supposed to fill us in on what's been happening after we arrived, but unfortunately, neither he nor Tsa'ni have shown up."

"Yes, it's strange, isn't it," Riley said slowly. "Those men and all… but like I said, neither of the boys have been around here, not that I've seen anyway. I'm sorry I can't be of much help."

"That's alright," Mandie assured him. "Thanks anyway, Mr. O'Neal."

"Please, Miss Amanda, call me Riley," he invited, giving her another charming smile.

She coughed and did her best to ignore Jonathan's grin and Joe's glower, sure her face must be bright red by now. "We should be getting on our way to Bird-town," she stammered. "Maybe someone there has seen Tsa'ni or Dimar."

"Come back and see me before your visit's over," Riley said. "I'd like to catch up with you all."

"We'll try," Mandie promised, before turning away and heading back to where they left the wagon on the road. She was sure Mr. O'Neal was watching them leave, so she didn't say anything until they were well out of sight.

"Well, what did you think of Mr. O'Neal?" she asked Celia and Jonathan.

Celia grinned slyly at her. "I think the better question is: what did he think of you?"

"Celia Hamilton!" Mandie admonished, over Jonathan's laughter.

"'A thousand times better now that you're here'," Jonathan repeated. "What a line! He sure is enamored with you, Mandie."

"It's not funny," Mandie said heatedly. "And I don't care to discuss it any longer."

"How much longer is it to Bird-town?" Celia asked, wisely changing the subject, as they all piled back into the wagon and continued down the road.

"Perhaps another hour," Sallie replied. "We are making good time, though."

"We should be there around nine," Mandie added. "I just hope Dimar is there—or someone knows where he is, at least. Uncle Ned is probably staying with my Uncle Wirt Pindar. We'll go there first."

"This sure is beautiful country," Jonathan said, looking around as they drove along.

"It is," Mandie agreed. "You should see some of the places we've been to in these mountains! Tsa'ni knows them like the back of his hand. He's the one that took us to the secret cave behind a waterfall, where we found the gold to build the Cherokee Hospital."

"Only after he caused plenty of trouble," Joe reminded her.

"But it all turned out alright in the end, didn't it?" Mandie persisted.

Joe shrugged, keeping his attention on the road.

"I sure hope gold isn't what those men are after on the border," Mandie said after a moment.

Sallie nodded. "I hope so too. Gold has caused far too much trouble for our people already."

"Besides, if they are after gold, they've got no right to anything on the reservation," Mandie pointed out. "They sure are being smart by sticking to the border. I guess they're making certain we can't accuse them of trespassing."

"Whatever they're doing, that Indian back in Franklin sure didn't want us to come," said Joe. "I hope we find Dimar too, since he seems to know more about it than anyone. I wonder if he's been watching them. That would explain why no one's seen him."

"That could be," Mandie agreed.

"Then perhaps Tsa'ni is there as well," Sallie suggested hopefully.

"Isn't that what happened when those men were digging all over the place?" Joe asked. "We couldn't find Tsa'ni then either, and it turned out he had been hiding out to watch the men."

Mandie was silent. It was true that Tsa'ni had turned out to be alright then, but she once again pictured the Indian with Tsa'ni's jacket. Somehow, she didn't believe that Tsa'ni was going to turn up this time.


	3. Chapter 3

Happy Easter, everyone! I'm still recovering from a day of Greek food and ouzo (my great-grandmother's family was Greek, so we celebrate Greek Easter every year on Easter Sunday; the amount of moussaka my family can consume is alarming).

In this chapter, you will learn a little bit more about what the strange men are up to, but not all that much because, as I've said, I fail majorly at writing mysteries. I seriously considered going on strike and refusing to update my story until _The Thorns of Love_ is updated, but I decided that would be mean. And the good news is that now that summer is on the way, I've been working on this story more and more—for some reason, summer and fall are very inspiring to me when it comes to working on stories like _Mandie_. Maybe because they get me excited for things like camping and hiking and stuff... anyway; the reviews!

 **LovetheLORD** : thank you! I'm so glad you liked the first two chapters, and I hope you enjoy the third!

 **Annefan** (guest): I love hearing that this sounds like a real Mandie story! Thank you! I never really could figure out Riley O'Neal. He does seem to really appreciate Sallie's help in the school, but I always thought he was strangely into Mandie; and it was weird because she was only thirteen when they first met. He seems like a nice person, but for some reason, I always found him a bit odd. / what does everyone else think about him?

 **Jomandaforlife** (guest): love the name! Thanks for understanding about the updating schedule, and I promise that I will update with or without it! I think I can tell you that there will be plenty of Mandie/Joe moments in this story! I don't want it to get _too_ romantic, but I think I can safely say that, since the characters are older now, their relationship is a bit more dramatic/intense!

 **Gen** (guest): so glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing, I really appreciate it.

 **Guest** : speaking as someone passionately in love with McDonald's fries, I'm extremely gratified that you love my story like McDonalds!

 **Guest** : here you go! A new chapter!

 **Guest** : I HOPE I UPDATED BEFORE YOU DIED! Knowing my updating though, probably not. Rest in peace, Mandie fan who died waiting for my story...

 **Mandie fan** (guest): thank you! It means so much to me when people compliment my writing. And if I get that far before I die of old age, I will definitely have Joe and Mandie get married!

 **Kkluvzmusic** (guest): thank you, and thank you for reading my first story! Here is the next chapter!

* * *

When they arrived in Bird-town, the first thing Mandie did was head for her great Uncle's house, hoping that either he or Uncle Ned had news of Dimar.

She found them, along with Aunt Saphronia, talking outside of the house.

Uncle Wirt's face lit up when he saw her. "Papoose!" he said, returning her embrace.

"Hello, Uncle Wirt," she said with a big smile. "Aunt Saphronia," she added, turning the hug the tiny, wrinkled Indian woman.

Aunt Saphronia placed a leathery hand on Mandie's cheek and smiled warmly, her dark eyes lighting with welcome. Mandie grasped the hand with her own and turned her attention to Uncle Ned.

"What have you heard, Uncle Ned?" she asked, as her friends joined them. "Have you seen Tsa'ni or Dimar?"

"No see Tsa'ni or Dimar," Uncle Ned replied, with a shake of his head. "Dimar mother say she see him yesterday morning, not since then. Wirt say council not yet decide what to do about men."

Mandie exchanged a look with her friends. "We haven't found any sign of the boys either," Mandie replied. "Joe suggested that they might be watching those men."

Uncle Ned shrugged. "Maybe, but other braves watch too, no see Tsa'ni or Dimar."

Mandie frowned. "What did the braves say about the men?"

Uncle Wirt's forehead creased. "Men stay near border, dig up rocks, bushes. Move."

"They're moving rocks and bushes around?" Mandie repeated, surprised. "What does that mean? Do you think they're looking for gold, Uncle Ned?"

Uncle Ned shrugged again. "Make sense," he said. "Keep lots of maps, papers."

"How strange," Mandie said, turning to her friends, after saying good-bye to her aunt and uncle. They headed back to where they left the wagon. "I wonder why they think there's gold near the border."

"If they _are_ looking for gold," Sallie put in. "We do not know that for sure."

"Besides, as long as they don't do any harm to the Cherokee's land, we can't really stop them," Joe pointed out. "We'd have to prove that they're trespassing, and we can't accuse them of anything if it doesn't seem like they're doing anything illegal."

"Then why would that old Indian try to stop us from coming?" Mandie reminded him. "He wanted us all to stay away. He was definitely hiding something."

"And Dimar would not over exaggerate about something so serious," Sallie added. "He must think something important is going on, or he would not have sent such an urgent message."

"Yes, well, it would be nice if he would show up and let us know what's going on," Joe said dryly.

"Maybe we should go see what they're up to ourselves," Jonathan suggested.

"Sounds dangerous to me," Celia said with a shudder.

Mandie smiled at Jonathan. "Oh, don't worry," she assured him. "We'll be paying them a visit sooner or later. I'd just prefer to do it with Dimar, that's all.

"Remember, your mother and Uncle John will be arriving this afternoon with Dr. Woodard," Celia said.

"That's right," said Joe. "Who knows how long we'll have to poke around with them before we can do some investigating of our own."

"We'll think of some excuse to leave," Mandie replied, shrugging. "Besides, Sallie and Dimar and I always wander all over when I'm here. Mother usually stays with Morning Star."

A sudden movement in the woods caught her eye, and she turned to see a very familiar Cherokee boy heading towards them through the trees.

"Look!" Mandie cried. "It's Dimar!"

Dimar returned Mandie's wave and quickened his pace, hurrying over to where they stood.

"Hello, Mandie," he said warmly, grasping her hand, and then turning to greet the others.

"I'm so glad you found us, Dimar," Mandie told him. "We got here yesterday and Morning Star said that you'd gone missing along with Tsa'ni. We've been asking around about you all morning."

Dimar smiled apologetically. "I did not mean to make you worry, although I assumed that you would not be here until today."

"Mandie wanted to come earlier with my grandfather and me," Sallie informed her. "Her mother and John Shaw are coming today."

Dimar laughed, his handsome brown face lighting with amusement. "I should have known you would come as quickly as possible," he told Mandie, smiling at her.

"Well, where have you been?" Joe interjected, diverting Dimar's attention from Mandie.

"At the border," Dimar replied. "I have been watching those men."

"And?" Mandie asked eagerly.

Dimar shrugged. "They act very strangely. I cannot tell for sure what they are doing. I will take you all there today, if you like."

"Of course!" said Mandie instantly. "But I have another question first—have you seen Tsa'ni? We've been looking for him as well."

Dimar frowned, his face turning serious. "Yes, Tsa'ni is missing," he replied. "I am worried about him. He was with me, also watching the men, but I have not seen him for four days now. I think he may be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Joe asked, after Mandie gave him an I-told-you-so look.

"I do not know," said Dimar, shaking his head. "I thought he was returning to Bird-town, to let the men know more of what was going on, but I was told that he never showed up."

"Do you think he got caught?" Jonathan asked.

"Tsa'ni?" said Dimar. "It is possible, I suppose, but I do not know what they would do with him. So far, they do not seem to be doing anything illegal, so there would be no reason to threaten Tsa'ni."

"We're on our way back to Deep Creek," said Mandie. "Do you think we could go to the border first? If that's alright with y'all," she added, looking around at her friends.

"It is alright with me," said Sallie. "I would like to see these men too."

The rest of them echoed her assent.

"Yes, we will go now," Dimar agreed. "They are closer to Deep Creek than to Bird-town anyway, but it will take maybe three hours by wagon."

"Why don't we take the wagon part of the way, and then cut through the woods to make it shorter?" Mandie suggested. "I don't mind walking."

"Yes, that is what we will do," said Dimar. "I can get us there faster that way."

"We can eat before we set out on foot," Celia added. "Morning Star packed us plenty of food."

Jonathan grinned at her. "I like your style," he said jokingly, prompting a laugh from Dimar and Joe.

"Let us hurry," said Dimar, gesturing to the wagon. "If we start now, I think we can return to Ned's house by the time Mandie's mother and John Shaw arrive."

Dimar volunteered to drive the wagon, and since he knew the mountain far better than anyone else, Joe agreed. They soon cut away from the dirt road between Deep Creek and Bird-town and veered northwards, taking small, less-worn trails through the woods, which Dimar explained was much faster than going all the way around to the Deep Creek village before heading north. The woods were dense and the mountain was uneven, but Dimar handled the horses with skill.

Mandie knew from the maps she had seen and the general positioning of the reservation that, though there were a more than a few miles in between them, they were traveling almost directly parallel to Deep Creek.

Finally, as the trails Dimar was taking grew more steep and rocky, and harder to navigate, he suggested they stop to eat something before continuing on foot.

"We will not have to worry about the wagon," he said, hopping down from the seat and walking around to help the girls out, with Joe and Jonathan just behind him. "I will unhitch the horses before we leave and secure them to a tree. There is plenty of grass for them to graze on, and we will not be much longer than one or two hours."

"What time is it, do you know?" asked Jonathan, taking the basket that Sallie handed him.

Mandie glanced up at the sun. "It is only just barely noon, I think," she answered, shielding her eyes.

Dimar turned to smile at her, admiration in his gaze. "You are exactly right, Mandie."

She avoided his gaze and turned to help Sallie and Celia set out the food. She knew that Dimar admired her, but she also suspected Sallie harbored some feelings for him, which made her position very awkward.

"There is a mountain spring just up there," Dimar said to Joe. "I believe Ned keeps a pail in the wagon for water. You and I will go and get some."

"Alright," Joe agreed, walking around to the back of the wagon and retrieving the pail. "Don't eat everything while we're gone, Jonathan," he warned, following Dimar up the mountainside.

"The very thought," said Jonathan indignantly, as soon as they had disappeared from view. "I say we eat it all just out of spite now."

Mandie laughed and finished unpacking the rest of the food. Morning Star had sent plenty, even with the added company of Dimar. There were biscuits packed with cold ham, fried chicken, and big hunks of bean bread.

Joe and Dimar soon returned with cold spring water, and they all set about the meal, eating as quickly as possible.

When they were finished, Mandie and Sallie repacked the leftovers into the basket and returned it to the wagon.

"Joe and I will get more water for the horses, and then we will leave," Dimar said. "And will you wedge large rocks behind the wheels of the wagon so it does not accidentally roll away? I do not think it would, but there is no point in taking any chances," he added to Jonathan.

"I'll help," Mandie offered, looking around for stones. By the time they had finished securing the wagon, Dimar and Joe had watered the horses, and they were ready to continue.

"We are not too far," Dimar said over his shoulder, leading the way down a rocky foot path. "I will let you know when we are very close, and then we will have to be quiet. I do not trust these men."

"And I somehow doubt they'll appreciate being spied on," Joe added, walking just behind Dimar. Mandie fell in step behind him, and Sallie, Celia, and Jonathan followed in single file, since the path was so narrow.

The sun rose higher in the sky as noontime passed, and after following Dimar through the mountains for what seemed like miles, he finally announced that they were close.

"They are just down this side of the mountain," he said, motioning for the others to follow him. "You will hear them and see them soon. Come, but we must be quiet now."

Mandie and her friends followed him as silently as possible as he led them down and around to a secluded, craggy overhang that looked down into the wooded mountain valley. She trailed Dimar as he crept forward and settled in a crouching position behind the boulders and saplings that littered the mountainside.

"There," Dimar whispered, pointing through the trees. Mandie followed his gaze and just barely made out the figures of men coming and going around the lower ground.

"What creek is that?" Mandie whispered, wondering if Deep Creek continued all the way there.

Dimar shrugged. "It is just a small mountain stream," he replied. "I think it is a branch off of Deep Creek, but I do not know for certain."

"I can't make out what they're doing very well," Joe said from her other side.

"Me neither," Mandie agreed. She looked at Dimar. "Is this as close as you and Tsa'ni got?"

He shook his head. "No, we got much closer. There are plenty of trees and undergrowth to hide behind once you get farther into the gap. The mountainsides offer plenty of cover."

"Let's go farther down," Mandie said. "I want to see what they're doing."

"Alright," Dimar said, "But it is probably best if not all of us go. It will be harder to hear and see only a few."

"I don't mind staying here," Celia offered. "I can't exactly sneak around very well with only one arm."

"I'll stay with Celia," Jonathan added. "But I want a fully detailed report."

"Good," said Dimar, while Mandie and her friends chuckled. "Then I will take Mandie and Sallie, and Joe, farther down. It is not hard, but Mandie, you must keep your head down. Your blonde hair is easier to spot in the woods than black like mine and Sallie's, or brown like Joe's."

Mandie nodded, and all four crept off of the overhang and stealthily made their way down, closer to the small encampment. Dimar led them through the trees until they were close enough to hear the men's muffled voices and see them clearly. He motioned to a cluster of boulders and leafy shrubs, and they crouched down behind them to conceal themselves, peering down at the camp.

Mandie counted six men, three of whom were conversing over by a wagon. Two of the men were working at unearthing a large stone, and the last man was sorting through empty crates stacked next to the wagon.

"They do seem to be moving things around, like Uncle Ned was saying," Mandie said in a whisper.

Dimar nodded. "Yes, they have uprooted several saplings and moved them since I have been watching them. I do not yet know why. They never seem bothered or in a hurry. It is good that they do not know we watch them."

"Do any of my people often travel along this area of the reservation?" Mandie asked, wondering at the ease of the men.

"No," said Dimar. "It is not good ground for our crops, and Deep Creek has all the water the people of the village would need. It is too far from Bird-town for any of them to have an interest in it. I suppose braves might hunt here at times, but that is all."

"I wonder what the crates are for," Joe said.

"If they are looking for gold, they will use the crates to carry it," Dimar said.

Mandie turned slightly to look at him. "You think they are looking for gold, then?"

He shrugged, his gaze fixed on the activities of the men. "What else would they be doing here? The gold you all found in the cave created a big stir," he pointed out. "Maybe these men think they know where to find more. I am sure there are more caves around here."

Mandie looked back down at the men. Dimar was right, she reflected, looking for gold was really the only logical explanation for the men's actions—but something nagged at her. If they were bent on finding gold, why didn't they have more tools? All she could see were two heavy shovels. If they planned to find gold in perhaps a nearby cave, surely they would have at least a pickaxe.

"Have they moved from this spot at all, Dimar?" Joe asked.

Dimar frowned thoughtfully. "If they did, it was not very far, and for not very long. They are always here when I am watching them."

That made Mandie all the more certain that they weren't interested in finding gold. If they were, wouldn't they be spreading out and exploring?

"Are they on Cherokee land, then?" Mandie questioned.

"It is hard to tell," Sallie answered. "They are very close to the border. But we cannot use that against them, even if they were. People are allowed to travel on our land."

"They don't seem to be doing much traveling," Joe pointed out.

"Maybe they are surveyors making a map," Mandie suggested. "Isn't that what those two men who were digging all over the mountain said?"

Dimar shook his head. "Surveyors would not dig up markers like they are doing and move things around."

"That's true," Mandie agreed. She paused for a moment and swept her gaze over the clearing. "I do not see any sign of Tsa'ni."

"No, I do not either," Dimar said. "I do not know if that is good or bad."

"No sign of that Indian either," Joe said in an undertone, exchanging a glance with Mandie.

Mandie let out a quiet sigh and leaned back on her heels. "I suppose we'd better be heading back to Uncle Ned's," she whispered. "We'll have to come back here tomorrow and watch them some more."

Dimar glanced at the sky and nodded. "Yes, you are right," he agreed. "It will take an hour, maybe two, to get back to Deep Creek. I will come back tomorrow morning and we can search for Tsa'ni." He peered down at the men for a moment longer, and then turned to lead the way back up the overhang, making sure they remained out of sight.

"There you are!" Celia said, when Mandie and the others had scaled back up to the extending mountainside. "Did you see the men? Or Tsa'ni?"

Mandie shook her head. "No, we didn't find Tsa'ni, but those men are sure up to something strange. I have no idea what."

Celia grinned. "Oh, but you'll figure it out, Mandie, if I know you."

"We'll tell you two all about it on the way," said Joe, "But for now, we'd better get back to the wagon and head for Deep Creek. My father and Mandie's folks will probably be there soon."

The others agreed and headed back the way they had come. Once they were safely out of earshot, Mandie's friends chatted amongst themselves, but Mandie stayed mostly silent. She was upset that they had found no sign of Tsa'ni, and she couldn't help feeling that those strange men had something to do with it.

* * *

Read and review (if you feel like it :P). And just out of curiosity, which was your favorite Mandie book in the original series? Besides _Mandie and the Secret Tunnel_ , I always really liked _Mandie and the Abandoned Mine_ and _Mandie and the Seaside Rendezvous_... but I love them all!


	4. Chapter 4

So I planned on updating way back in the beginning of June, but then I went on an almost spur-of-the-moment trip to Disney World, and when I came home I was far too depressed to no longer be _in_ Disney World that updating sank down below "miss Disney" and "wish I was still in Disney" on my to-do list. But really, can you blame me?

I hope everyone's summer is going well, better than Mandie's, at least. Or maybe some of you _are_ currently spying on mysterious strangers in the middle of the woods with your best friends ever. I wouldn't know. My summer is promising to be very busy, but very good, and I will of course continue to update when my conscience gets the better of me.

I apologize as usual for the wait, and again for the random genealogy/timeline facts I threw in this chapter. Like I said, I spent so much time on figuring out ages and birth years and whatnot, that I felt like I should make myself feel better by adding it to the story (seriously, the ridiculous amount of effort I spend on random stuff like this is not healthy). It makes no sense and has no relevance to the story, but I couldn't bring myself to edit it out.

 **Megslee** : I am beyond honored that you dedicated so much of your time to reading and then re-reading my first story! That's kind of amazing to me. Thank you so much for the kind words!

 **God's Child** (guest): sorry for the wait! Enjoy chapter 4 (and 3 if you read it) :)

 **Jorgina** (guest): thank you! Your words mean so much to me! Here is the new update; and you definitely have to read the whole series because it's beautiful, and then tell me your favorite book! I wish I was still reading them for the first time. Enjoy!

 **LovetheLORD** : Thank you thank you thank you! As always, best compliment EVER. _Mandie and the Medicine Man_ and _Mandie and the Ghost Bandits_ are both great choices! It's so hard to pick a favorite...

 **Annefan** (guest): Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! _Charleston Phantom_ is a great one because of all that hilarious Mandie and Joe angst. I'd give that argument in the beginning a 10/10 for drama! The Hilda one is _Mandie and the Forbidden Attic_ , I believe (# 4). Any of the ones where Mandie and Celia are up to mischief at school are classics.

 **God's Child** (guest): thank you for reviewing again! And OMG, you asked about their ages I LOVE YOU. So, Mandie is currently 16, but she will turn 17 on June 6 (1905), so I'll probably include that in maybe an upcoming story (I'm just assuming they get out of school in late May or something). Mandie's is the only exact birthdate that we're given, but we do know that Joe is supposed to be two years older than her. In my story, he's 18, soon to be 19. Mandie is the youngest of her friends, which makes Celia and Sallie both about 17 years old (I guess); in my storyworld, Sallie is a little older than Celia. She will turn 18 first. Jonathan is just a little younger than Joe; he'll be turning 19 soon too! I don't remember if the books ever address where he goes to college (if they do, somebody tell me!). So that's probably WAY more info than you actually wanted, but... yeah. Now you can learn about their parents' ages in the chapter :P There will definitely be more MandieXJoe to look forward to, but I'm afraid this chapter is sadly lacking in it. And those are all excellent choices for your favorite book! I LOVE _Mandie and the Abandoned Mine_!

 **Guest** : of course! Adorable MandieXJoe action is basically the entire reason for reading Mandie (besides all the other perfect characters, of course). _Seaside Rendezvous_ is the best ever! The end is beyond adorable. And the original three sooooo good!

 **Neon-Night-Light** : thaaaaaank yooooouuu! And I'm so glad you like the subtle MandieXJoe romance! Those were always my favorite moments between them in the books- I love when it's all out arguing/drama/complete adoration between them, but I especially love when they're just being sweet with each other and caring for each other like they always have :) I'm glad I'm not the only one who though Riley was a bit of a creeper. I mean, I'm sure he's a nice guy and all but come on- a 13 year old girl? What is wrong with you?! I love ALL those choices! _Buried Stranger_ and _Missing Kin_ had the best Mandie/Joe scenes and _The Long Goodbye_ is just classic Mandie/Joe. _Silent Catacombs_ is GREAT. Probably my favorite Europe one. _Angel's Secret_ is beautiful but depressing. Both the New York ones are such fun reads, mostly because of Jonathan. NOW UPDATE YOUR STORY.

 **TrooperV** (guest): Thank you! That is the best and most appreciated compliment. I'm so glad you like it, even the horrible mystery part!

 **Mandiefan** (guest): Here's the update! Thank you for continuing to review, it means the world to me!

So basically, I have too many favorite Mandie books. Thank you to everyone for sharing theirs with me! You guys are all my new best friends ;)

* * *

It was not yet supper time by the time Mandie and her friends made it back to Uncle Ned's house. Dimar left them just before they reached the Deep Creek village.

"Won't you stay and have supper with us?" Mandie asked him, when he informed them that he planned to head back to Bird-town before evening fell.

"No, I must return to my home. My mother Jerusha will be looking for me," he answered. "But I will come back early tomorrow morning, and we will search for Tsa'ni."

"Alright," Mandie agreed. "We'll be ready bright and early." They said goodbye to Dimar, who disappeared into the woods on foot, and finished the last, short stretch to Deep Creek.

"Mother and Uncle John are here!" Mandie said, when Uncle Ned's house came into view.

"I'll bet my father's over at the hospital," Joe added, not seeing Dr. Woodard's cart. "I know he's only staying until some time tomorrow, so I guess he wanted to check in on everything right away."

"You're right," Mandie agreed, as they neared the cabin. "I would like to visit the hospital while we're here as well, but I'm not sure I'll have the time. I sure am grateful we can always count on Dr. Woodard—especially for the sake of my kinspeople. Not all doctors are as open-minded as your father, Joe."

"He is a good man," Sallie agreed. "We Cherokee greatly appreciate all the efforts he has put into the hospital."

"I'm trying to imagine what my father would think of all this," Jonathan remarked, as Joe pulled the wagon to a stop beside the barn. "He's been all over the world, but sometimes I don't think he would be all that interested in places like this. He's much more of a city person than country."

Mandie grinned, taking the leftover lunch basket from Sallie and reaching out to help Celia out of the wagon. "So is Grandmother," she said. "Just think how perfect they are for each other!"

Joe and Jonathan chuckled at her sly remark, but Celia shook her head.

"I still agree with what Mandie said back in Franklin—if she ever did choose, it would be Senator Morten. Besides," she added with a big grin, "It would make it much more interesting if Jonathan's father challenged the Senator to a duel!"

"Celia Hamilton!" Mandie admonished her, while the others laughed. "Can you even imagine that?" she added, doing her best to suppress a giggle. "A duel between Mr. Guyer and dear old Senator Morten! If they wait too long, the Senator will have to fight with his cane!"

Her friends laughed even harder at that, though Jonathan protested, "He's not that much older than my father!"

"Yes," Mandie said thoughtfully. "Your father is certainly older than Uncle John and my mother, since he was my grandmother's sweetheart. I wonder what the exact age difference between all our parents is?"

"Well, my father is near to your Uncle John's age," Joe said. "He would be between your father, Mandie, and your uncle. They were all friends, including your mother."

"Yes, but my mother is much younger than Uncle John," Mandie reminded him. "She was closer to my father's age, so at least fifteen years younger."

"My mother as well," Celia put in.

"I know my father is older than your uncle, Mandie," said Jonathan. "I don't know your uncle's exact age, but I would guess that my father is at least fifteen or twenty years older. My mother was much younger when she married him."

"Uncle John was born in 1848," Mandie said. "And I believe Grandmother Taft was born around 1830."

"My father as well," said Jonathan. "So that would make him around twenty years John Shaw's senior. Eighteen, to be precise."

"Then I guess they will both need their canes in the duel," Sallie remarked, sending them all back into laughter.

"Grandmother would probably just shoot both of them if they did anything so embarrassing," Mandie pointed out, grinning.

"Imagine the newspaper headlines!" Jonathan joked.

"We should probably go inside," Celia suggested, shaking her head as they attempted to get their laughter under control. "I'm sure they can all hear us laughing."

"I won't be able to look at any of them without immediately going through the genealogies to deduce their age," said Jonathan. "I hope they don't ask what we were talking about."

"Come on," said Mandie, suppressing another grin. "And don't say anything about spying on those men in front of Mother—she'll put a watch on us for sure."

"Good point," Joe agreed. "You girls go ahead. Jonathan and I need to take care of the horses and the wagon. We'll be in soon."

Mandie, Celia, and Sallie hurried to the cabin door and entered to find Elizabeth and John standing by the fireplace. Uncle John was talking in Cherokee with Morning Star, but Mandie didn't see Uncle Ned anywhere.

"Amanda, there you are!" said Elizabeth, opening her arms to receive Mandie's embrace.

"Hello, Mother!" Mandie replied. "When did y'all get here? Have you been here long?"

"No, not long," her mother replied, after greeting Sallie and Celia. "We left early this morning, but we went around with Dr. Woodard to visit the hospital. He's still there, but he'll be back in time for supper."

"That's what we thought," said Mandie.

"Where are Joe and Jonathan?" Elizabeth asked.

"Taking care of the horses," Celia answered. "They'll be here in a minute."

Snowball, who had been napping by the fireplace, rose and stretched, before heading over to Mandie and winding around her ankles.

"Hello, Snowball," Mandie said, picking him up and burying her face in his soft fur. "Did you miss me today?"

"Is my grandfather not back yet?" Sallie questioned.

"Yes, where is Uncle Ned?" Mandie added, looking around. Uncle John finished his conversation with Morning Star and put an arm around Mandie.

"Morning Star said he's still at Bird-town. Jessan came by earlier with a message from him, saying that he'd be back by supper time."

"Goodness," said Mandie. "Evidently, the council is having some trouble deciding what to do about those men!"

"Yes, it appears so," said Uncle John, frowning. "I don't know what to make of it myself, though I hope to know more when Ned returns."

"What did y'all do today?" Elizabeth asked, smiling at them. Mandie exchanged a look with her friends before replying.

"We visited Riley O'Neal and then went on to Bird-town to see all my kinspeople," she answered honestly. "Then Dimar found us and we spent the rest of the day with him."

"I'd like to go see Wirt and Saphronia," her mother said. "Maybe we can spend the day with them tomorrow."

"That's fine," agreed Uncle John. "I'll be as likely going there with Ned again in the morning to figure out this whole mess. Why don't you and Morning Star both come? I'm sure Aunt Saphronia would appreciate all the company."

Mandie noticed that he didn't include her and her friends in the planning, and she silently thanked God for such an astute uncle.

"What about you, Amanda?" her mother asked. "Are y'all coming as well?"

"Actually, Mother," Mandie began, "My friends and I planned to go with Dimar tomorrow morning to search for Tsa'ni. Uncle Ned said it would be a good idea."

Elizabeth nodded and squeezed Mandie's hand. "Of course, dear," she said. "I'm sure you must be worried about your cousin."

Mandie returned the pressure on her hand. "Thank you, Mother," she said gratefully. "And I'm sure none of my friends would mind heading back to Bird-town in the afternoon to spend some time with y'all. I promised Aunt Saphronia I would be back, anyway." _Only after we've done some more spying on those men_ , she privately added.

Sallie turned to relay all the plans to Morning Star, and Joe and Jonathan entered at that moment. Joe immediately sent Mandie an inquiring look, wondering how their plans had been accepted by the adults. She smiled and nodded at him.

"Your father is probably on his way by now," Elizabeth told Joe. "He said he's planning on leaving sometime tomorrow afternoon to return home. I assume you young folks know that we'll be stopping in Charley Gap for a day or two on our way back to Franklin."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Mandie. "I spoke to Uncle John about it before we left yesterday morning. I knew we need to get to the reservation as quickly as possible, but he promised we could visit on the return journey."

Her mother joined Morning Star to help prepare supper, while Uncle John tended to the fire under Morning Star's critical eye. Mandie and her friends stayed out of their way after Morning Star sent them a warning glance, sitting on the stools and chairs near the table.

"What are our plans after that, exactly?" Jonathan put in. "Has anyone decided? My father will meet us at the Franklin train station when we return. Are you all coming to New York next?"

"That depends on Grandmother," Mandie answered. "She was hoping Celia and I—and anyone else interested—would want to go to Florida again and visit Senator Morten, but I told her we planned to go to New York as well, among other places."

"Well, I'll be staying in Charley Gap until y'all fill me in on the details of where we're going next," Joe said. "Since it's not always possible for my parents to go along on the trips because of my father's patients, I'd like to spend some time at home with them this summer."

"Of course," Mandie agreed. "I'm sure it will be the same for Celia and I. Mother will almost certainly want some downtime in Franklin with me and Uncle John." She also was hoping that she'd be able to spend at least a little part of her vacation in Charley Gap, besides the short visit they planned to make when they left the reservation. She was sure Joe and his parents wouldn't mind if she stayed with them again.

"I'm almost glad that this summer didn't include another Europe tour," Celia added. "I loved going both times, but I think I'd be too tired just thinking about it this year!"

Mandie laughed. "It was rather hectic last time, but I almost think that is because all of those people came along. There were just too many. It was far less stressful when it was only you, me, and Jonathan."

"I believe you're right, Mandie," Celia agreed. "Next time we go, I think it should just be this group—you, me, Joe, Jonathan, Sallie, and Dimar, if he would want to come."

"If we go again," said Joe.

Mandie shook her head. "Knowing my grandmother, I'm sure we will soon. Probably next summer, if she can get her way. It was so much fun, the first time, when our only chaperones were Senator Morten and Grandmother!" She grinned. "They were far too enamored with each other's company to pay us much mind!"

"If we go even in the next two years, we won't need 'chaperones' anymore," Jonathan reminded her. He paused dramatically. "We should all take a moment to savor that future freedom."

Mandie smiled and shook her head at Jonathan's antics, then got up to help her mother set the table. A sound outside drew her attention and she crossed to the window to look out.

"Uncle Ned's back!" she announced. "And there's Dr. Woodard, too!" She hurriedly set down the bowls she was holding and dashed out the door to greet them.

"Uncle Ned!" she called, rushing up to his horse.

"Papoose," Uncle Ned greeted her, smiling down at her before dismounting. He encircled her with one arm. "Must be curious," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Just saw papoose this morning."

Mandie laughed. "You're right, as always, Uncle Ned. That would account for my greeting. Oh, Uncle Ned, I'm just plain on pins and needles to know what's going on! Did y'all reach any decision?" She paused for breath, looking at him expectantly.

Uncle Ned patted her shoulder. "Inside. Eat first, then tell. Doctor tired."

Mandie turned to grasp Dr. Woodard's hand, who had come up beside them. "Of course," she said. "You must be bone-tired, Dr. Woodard! Morning Star has supper all ready."

"Thank you, Miss Amanda," Dr. Woodard replied, then added with a grin: "'Bone-tired,' is it? My, my, what would your teachers down in Charleston think to hear you use such an expression?"

Mandie returned his grin as they walked back to the cabin. "Nothing good, I know, but I'm with the Cherokee and y'all now, not with the folks at Charleston's Ladies' College or my grandmother, so we can just keep this between us."

Dr. Woodard winked at her. "Your secret is safe with me," he promised.

Morning Star ushered them all to the table as soon as they had walked through the door, indicating that the meal was ready. There was a huge kettle of hot, thick stew over the fire that she was dishing into bowls, and plates of warm biscuits and cornbread on the table top.

"Don't worry—it's regular stew, not owl," Mandie teased Joe in an undertone, as she slid into the seat beside him.

"I would very maturely eat either one," he replied, returning her grin.

"Pray," Morning Star said over the chatter around the home-hewn table. She nodded at Uncle Ned. "Eat."

Uncle Ned gave thanks for the food and then motioned to everyone to enjoy the meal.

"The plan is to leave early tomorrow morning, then?" Uncle John asked Uncle Ned.

"Yes," Uncle Ned replied. "Return to Bird-town. Braves decide if involving white people's law."

"Will we involve the law then, my grandfather?" Sallie asked, surprised.

"Not sure," Uncle Ned answered her. "Know, decide tomorrow. Many Cherokee think best to deal alone. Confront men, but do not fight. Talk."

"What do you think, Uncle Ned?" Elizabeth asked.

He shrugged. "Men not threat—yet. But must answer for using Cherokee land."

"I agree, y'all certainly have every right to know what they're doing," Mandie said, nodding. "Of course, talking didn't do any good with those other two men—or with those bootleggers who kidnapped me, Sallie, and Joe."

"I, for one, hope this whole mess is settled quickly, before those strangers prove to be dangerous," Elizabeth said.

"I think it's pretty safe to assume that they're not exactly friendly, after that whole ordeal with the strangers back in Franklin," Joe pointed out. "That Indian wasn't harmless."

"Joe's right," Celia agreed. "I doubt those men are interested in talking."

"They've got a point," said Jonathan.

"Whatever they're doing, the Indian certainly didn't want us to find out," Mandie added.

"Unfortunately, y'all are most likely right," said Uncle John. "I'm afraid those men don't want to be bothered—I know they won't like our interference. That was plain after that Indian planned to get y'all lost, to keep us from coming."

"I just can't think what they would be doing here," Dr. Woodard said, frowning.

"Dimar suggested that they might be searching for gold," Joe said. "What do y'all think?"

"It's possible," said Uncle John. "I would have to know more about the situation before being sure."

"They still don't sound like miners or anything like that to me," Mandie said, remembering their lack of tools.

"I agree with you, Mandie," said Sallie. "Something tells me that they are not looking for gold."

"I find it highly suspicious that they apparently haven't moved beyond their one spot," Jonathan put in.

Mandie silently agreed. The men's behavior was confusing, but there had to be some hidden motive. And perhaps finding Tsa'ni was the answer. Mandie was sure that if anyone knew anything about the strangers, it would be her elusive cousin.

* * *

Okay, so I know that was once again really short, and I apologize. These next couple of chapters will start to delve in the story more (well, as much of a story that it is...). There will be some Mandie and Joe moments, of course; and for all you Tsa'ni sympathizers, I stand with you, he is NOT all bad! Also, I feel like I've been ending every single update with "Mandie blah blah blaaaWHERE IS TSA'NI HE MUST KNOW SOMETHING!" so sorry about that. I'll try not to do it next time.

New question: who is your absolute favorite character? And it doesn't have to be a main character. Secondary characters and even completely random character who are only mentioned once are welcome (like how about that totally random opera singer in _Mandie and the Singing Chalet_ , she was pretty exciting, am I right?)


	5. Chapter 5

Happy Almost Fall! Too bad the weather isn't cooperating. As soon as September hits, I'm ready for jeans and sweaters and campfires and hot coffee. Unfortunately, it seems like the weather is still really into dumb stuff like shorts and tanktops and heatstrokes. Like, you have nine days until the official beginning of Fall, weather. Get with the program. But I guess I shouldn't complain since I'm leaving for the Outer Banks on Saturday! Maybe being in Mandie's home state will inspire me to write while I'm there!

Thank you for waiting patiently for this chapter (I've been waiting not-so-patiently for Neon-Night-Light to update _Thorns of Love_ ). As always, I'm juggling approximately 873948757391 different writing projects, so sometimes it takes me awhile to find time to edit and post the next _Mandie_ update (which is so dumb, I know. I mean, I barely ever edit it anyway haha). And thanks for bearing with all that random stuff in my last chapter about people's ages and stuff. Sometimes I just get dangerously hooked on the most basic, unimportant subject and there's just no going back. Anyway—the reviews!

 **Guest** : I agree, Aunt Ruby is such an interesting and overlooked character! _The Hidden Treasure_ was a really good book, and her history was so endearing. It does seem strange that Uncle John barely ever talked about her; I would have liked to know more about her, since she seems like the kind of person Mandie would have used as a role model. You should write a story about her! Thank you for your kind words about my work, they are so appreciated! And I hope, for everyone's sake, that one day I will understand the meaning of kindness and start updating on a regular basis :P

 **Neon-Night-Light** : You have to go to Disney World, even if it's the last thing you do! I'd been before, years ago, but this last visit reminded me how amazing it really is. We had so much fun. I can't wait to go again! Now I hope you're true to your word, because I am updating, and therefore you must update.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who obsessively searched through the books to draw up an accurrate timeline of the characters—and I (very surprisingly) remembered to write it all down. Otherwise I would have 100% forgotten EVERYTHING by now. I'm so glad that you like Tsa'ni! He can be a total pain (and he typically is), but there's just something that I love about him! He's so cool and independent. Mandie and her friends only wish they could be so cool. But I agree, it's hard to pick a favorite character. Like you said, there are things I like about everyone. I like Mandie and Joe, of course. And Jonathan. And Celia and Sallie. And totally Dimar and Tsa'ni. And Uncle John and Uncle Ned... the only character I never really liked was Elizabeth, which is terrible, but I can't help it.

I was always sort of disappointed that Mandie and Polly grew so far apart, especially since Polly was the first friend Mandie made after she left home. I mean, I understand why, but still :/ Mandie can definitely be incredibly frustrating, and I've been irritated with her too many times to count—and you're right about _New Horizons_. Most of the stuff in the that book seemed so far off from what I'd come to know and expect from the series. Anyway, thanks for the review; now I think you have a promise to keep!

 **Mandie fan** (guest): thank you! I can never say it enough: that's the best compliment I can receive! And I totally agree, UPDATE YOUR STORY NNL!

 **PrincessLeiaD** : thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you like this next chapter (btw, I like your username)

 **Mandiefan** (guest): thank you SO MUCH for your kind words, and yes, I absolutely will be writing more _Mandie_ fanfics! Judging by my update habits, you'll probably all be in your 80s by the time I finally finished... but anyway, yes, I have several more mapped out, and actually, one of the things I do when I have writer's block is to just skip ahead and write future chapters/stories... I'm sure you'll all be interested in what I was working on the other day (hint: MANDIE AND JOE OMG)

 **Mandiefan** (guest): thank you for reviewing! Here's the update :)

 **Annefan** (guest): another interesting character pick! People do seem to forget about Hilda a lot (yours truly included, haha); she's definitely a fascinating character, though. I can't remember how her story ended up turning out... was she still with the Pattons in the end, or did she go somewhere else?

Okay there are now two **Mandie** **fan** s and I am so confused! I know I sound ridiculous, but I don't want to get my reviewers mixed up... I think the difference is that one of you spells it as one word and the other separates it... if that's the case, then keep doing that so I can identify you! But moving on: here is the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. And there's not too much this time, but I promise that you will have some good, old-fashioned Mandie/Joe moments very soon (possibly in the next chapter)!

* * *

Dimar arrived the following morning at dawn, as promised, just as Uncle Ned, Uncle John, Elizabeth, and Morning Star were preparing to leave. Dr. Woodard had left nearly an hour earlier to head back to the hospital.

Mandie and her friends quickly finished their breakfast and while the boys went out to ready the wagon and horses, Mandie and Sallie cleared the table for Morning Star. When they were finished, they joined Dimar, Jonathan, and Joe outside. Celia followed them, toting the heavy lunch basket to pack in the wagon over her good arm.

"Let me take that Celia," Sallie offered, retrieving the basket from a grateful Celia. Mandie captured Snowball, who had followed them out after breakfast, and attached his leash and harness to him.

"Sorry, Snowball, but you will have to be dragged around on the leash today," Mandie told him. "No one will be home to watch you."

He looked up at her sorrowfully and meowed, prompting a chuckle from Joe.

"Sometimes I think that white cat of yours knows exactly what you're saying, Mandie," he said, leaning against the wagon.

"Of course he does," Mandie replied, bending down to pet Snowball. "He's a very intelligent cat."

"If there's anything that cat's good for, it's troublemaking," Jonathan said dryly, swinging himself up onto the wagon seat. "He had a definite knack for that in Europe."

Mandie ignored their teasing and turned to see of the adults.

"Y'all be careful today, while you're out in the woods," Mandie's mother cautioned them as Uncle John helped her into their wagon.

"We will be," Mandie promised her. "I expect we'll join y'all in Bird-town sometime in the late afternoon."

"Sounds like a plan, blue eyes," Uncle John agreed, turning to assist Morning Star. He walked back over to his horse, preparing to swing himself up, and then paused, turning to look at Joe and Jonathan. "Either of you two bring a rifle along?"

Joe shook his head, as did Jonathan. "No, sir," Joe replied. "Remember, we returned yours to you the evening before we left."

"Rifle in cabin," Uncle Ned spoke up.

Uncle John nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Ned. Y'all should probably bring one, just in case."

"Good idea," Joe agreed, before hurrying back into the house.

"I have one as well," Dimar added, from his seat in the cart he had brought. "It is in the back of this wagon. We can share them back and forth between the three of us." He gestured to Jonathan beside him, and to Joe, who was returning with the rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Very good," said Uncle John, before mounting and nodding to Morning Star and Uncle Ned. "We'll see y'all later today, then."

Once they were gone, Mandie turned to Dimar and asked, "What is the plan for today? Do you have any ideas where we should search for Tsa'ni?"

"I am not sure where to look," Dimar replied, frowning. "The reality is that Tsa'ni could be anywhere. He could be in trouble, as you say, or it is also possible that he is simply avoiding us."

"More than possible," Joe agreed.

Mandie felt uneasy at that possibility. It was true that Tsa'ni had played these types of disappearing games before, and she wondered briefly if that was what he was doing now. She would have worried herself to death for nothing. "Well," she said, folding her arms, "We can't take that chance, so we'll just have to look for him anyway."

Dimar nodded. "You are right, of course. I was just warning you that it is a possibility. I suggest that we head for the schoolhouse. I am sure Riley O'Neal would be willing to help us search. I think it would be best if we split up into three different groups. We will cover more ground that way."

"Good plan," said Joe, nodding. "We can decide what groups and where they'll search when we get there."

"Yes, that is wise," Sallie agreed. "But we know that myself, Dimar, and most likely Mandie will each have to be in separate groups."

"Of course, since y'all are the best trackers," said Celia. "That makes sense to me."

"Good, we are all agreed then," said Dimar, smiling. "If we leave now, we should make it the schoolhouse before eight."

Mandie and Sallie helped Celia up into the wagon, before climbing in themselves, Mandie clutching an unhappy Snowball firmly under her arm.

Joe joined the girls in the back of the wagon, sitting with the rifle lying across his knees. There was a slight jerk as Dimar urged the horse to a start, and in no time at all they were winding through the forest on the way to Riley O'Neal's schoolhouse.

"Oh, good, he's at home again!" Mandie said, when around an hour later, Dimar drove the wagon off of the main road and pulled it to a stop in front of the Cherokee schoolhouse. Riley O'Neal was standing outside, painting the front door, but he turned when he heard their approach.

"Well, now, I'm glad you all came back to visit me," he said, brushing his hands on his loose-fitting shirt.

"Hello, Mr. O'Neal," Mandie greeted him, scooting out of the wagon behind Joe and Sallie. "We've come to ask for your assistance."

"I'd be pleased to help," he said immediately. "What can I do for you folks today?"

"We're planning to search for Tsa'ni," Mandie explained, "And we could use all the help we can get."

"Tsa'ni still hasn't shown up, then?" Riley confirmed. "I see you've found Dimar, though," he added, greeting the Cherokee boy.

"He found us," Mandie corrected, smiling at Dimar.

"Will you come, then?" Sallie asked him.

Riley nodded. "Of course. Just let me change out of these stained painting clothes and I'll be right with you." He disappeared into the building.

"Right," said Jonathan, abandoning his place in the wagon. "What's the plan? Who's going with who?"

"Like Sallie said," Joe began, "She, Mandie, and Dimar should probably each be in separate groups, since they're the ones most likely to know where they're going."

"Yes," Dimar agreed. "I will take Celia and Mr. O'Neal, and Joe and Jonathan will go with either Sallie or Mandie."

"Jonathan may come with me," Sallie inserted, with a sly look at Mandie, before either of the two could claim Mandie.

"And Joe will come with me," Mandie finished. "Now, we should plan to meet back up somewhere. Any ideas? Dimar?"

Dimar frowned. "I was just thinking that we probably should have brought along a horse or two. If we want to search as much as possible, it will be slow going on foot. I did not think of that earlier."

"Well, it's too late to worry about that now," Mandie replied, shrugging. "Besides, Mr. O'Neal has a cart. So that means only one of the three groups has to do it all on foot." She gestured to Celia's wrist. "Y'all should probably take the wagon, to let Celia be more comfortable. You can always get out and then come back to it later if it gets to difficult for driving a wagon."

"That is what we will have to do," said Dimar. "I am sorry I did not think the horses through. You and Sallie must decide who will take Mr. O'Neal's cart."

"I think we should all plan to meet at the hospital," Sallie spoke up. "That way, with our three different groups, we will cover almost everything from here, all the way up and around to the northern borders, and then back down to the hospital."

"That is a good plan, Sallie," Dimar agreed. "And the hospital is closer to Bird-town, so we will not have a long trip to make afterwards."

"I'm glad you thought of that, Sallie," Mandie said, smiling at her friend. "That way I will be able to visit the hospital after all. And we might even be able to catch Dr. Woodard before he leaves."

"Here's Mr. O'Neal now," Celia interjected, nodding towards the schoolhouse. Riley hurried toward them, dressed in a clean shirt and trousers.

"Good," said Dimar. "We must decide how to split up the ground we are covering." He turned to Riley and said, "We are splitting into three groups so we can fit in more searching."

"That's a smart idea," said Riley. He turned to Mandie. "I hope I'm in your group, then, Miss Amanda," he added, flashing her a smile.

Mandie quickly looked around at the others. "I, er…" she began in a panicked tone, hoping that one of them would intervene.

Dimar frowned briefly, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I was going to take you and Celia along with me, but I guess it does not really matter."

"Splendid!" said Riley. Mandie waited for Joe to insert his opinion, but she was surprised when he said easily,

"I suppose that's alright. If Riley O'Neal goes with Mandie, then I can head back to Uncle Ned's and get his horses like you were saying, Dimar. I'll catch up with Mandie and Mr. O'Neal afterwards. It's a bit of a silly waste of time, but Dimar's right. It'll make the going faster in the end. "

 _I can't believe Joe is making me team up with Riley O'Neal!_ Mandie thought, though she refused to look at him. For some reason, she felt almost disappointed at Joe's unusual lack of jealousy. She couldn't let him know that, however, so she said, "That's settled then. Mr. O'Neal will come with me, and Joe can return for the horse. Sallie, you and Jonathan can take Mr. O'Neal's wagon."

"Certainly," Riley said. "I'll go and hitch it up."

Sallie and Celia cast her sympathetic glances, but Mandie refused to let her disappointment show. She turned to Dimar and said, "Which ways should we all go?"

"Celia and I will go up along the mountain in that direction," Dimar replied, pointing west, near Bird-town. "Sallie and Jonathan can cover the south, towards the Cherokee Hospital. Mandie, you and Mr. O'Neal can head north from here. If you follow some of the trails off of the main road, you should head in an almost straight direction up towards where those men are. It is probably the most difficult Celia and I will be covering the farther west side of that area." He squatted and drew some lines in the dirt with a stick to demonstrate.

"That means Sallie can take Mr. O'Neal's cart and he and I will go on foot," Mandie decided.

Joe frowned at her. "Now, Mandie, don't you think you ought to take the cart?"

Mandie made a flippant gesture with her hand. "Oh, Joe, if you're worrying after my ankle again, leave it be," she said, smiling sweetly. "I feel perfectly fine. It hasn't bothered me at all, and I don't want to be stuck in a wagon all morning."

Joe raised his eyebrows, so she added, "I'll be careful, I promise."

"I'll head back to Uncle Ned's now," Joe said, after a moment, studying Dimar's drawing. "If I take a shortcut through the woods and hurry, I should make it within an hour."

"Yes, you should be back in plenty of time," Dimar agreed. "Then all you have to do is pick a trail to follow. The horse will speed the process up."

Joe nodded, but his gaze cut back to Mandie. She held it, and willed her expression to remain indifferent. "I'll be sure to leave a clear trail," she said.

His mouth quirked up in a half-smile. "Be careful," he replied, addressing everyone but still holding Mandie's gaze. He turned around and headed back the way they had come. Even if he moved quickly, it would be a good amount of time before he reached Uncle Ned's. Mandie and her friends would be spread out all over the reservation by then, searching for signs of Tsa'ni. Hopefully, though, with a horse, he would be able to overtake Mandie and Riley O'Neal on foot.

"Has Joe already gone?" Riley's voice sounded behind them, along with the creaking of wheels. Mandie turned around. He was leading his team of horses, and the small wagon hitched to them.

"Yes," Dimar answered him. "I hope he will make good time. The more people we have looking for Tsa'ni, the better chance we have of finding him."

"I was going to give him a waterskin before he left, but I suppose he'll be alright," Riley explained, gesturing to the skins on the seat of the wagon. "We can carry a couple with us, Miss Amanda."

"That's fine," Mandie agreed. "I'll have to bring Snowball as well. He'll most likely be a nuisance, but he has his leash and harness on."

Riley looked doubtfully at her, probably imagining the hassle it would be to lose Snowball in the mountains. Mandie offered him a reassuring smile and went to get her cat. She'd dragged Snowball now practically all over creation. Riley didn't need to worry about it. She hurried to Uncle Ned's rig and retrieved her dozing cat. He blinked up at her, looking in no mood for an adventure at the moment. _Oh well_. It looked like she would be carrying him for a little while.

Riley handed her one of the waterskins when she rejoined them, and she pulled it over her head and shoulders so that it rested against her back. He did the same with the other two.

"We should start," Dimar said, helping Celia back up into the wagon. "We will have a long day of searching, and we should make the most of it. We are meeting at the hospital, remember," he added, as he swung himself into the seat beside Celia. He urged the horses forward, in the direction of Bird-town. Sallie and Jonathan climbed into Riley's wagon. Sallie was much more skilled in driving a team than Jonathan, so she took the reins and nodded to Mandie and Riley as they passed.

"Good luck, Mandie," she said. Mandie smiled in return and waved at Jonathan, and then turned to Mr. O'Neal.

"Right," she said brightly. "We'll have the slowest going, on foot as we are. Let's get going." She set out for the main road, Riley walking beside her, and followed Dimar's instructions to one of the foot trails that led north into the mountains. The trees soon swallowed up the view of the road behind them, and they kept a slow pace, since Mandie didn't want to miss anything by rushing by in a hurry.

"Remember to keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual," she reminded Riley, adjusting Snowball on over her shoulder. "Broken branches, bruised leaves, hair or fabric snagged on a bush—things like that."

"Of course," said Riley, from behind her. The path wasn't big enough for them to walk side-by-side anymore. "But I was wondering..."

"Yes?" Mandie prompted, clambering over some rocks jutting up from the ground. Carrying Snowball with one arm made such things much more difficult.

"I don't pretend to be on... well, friendly terms with Tsa'ni," Riley continued, putting stress on the word _friendly_. Mandie grinned. No, she didn't imagine the missionary was friends with her haughty Cherokee cousin.

"But I do know that he is quite the... well, he's a skilled, if young, Cherokee brave. He probably knows these mountains like the back of his hand. What makes you think we'll stumble upon some sign of him? I don't see your cousin leaving broken twigs or hair snarled on branches, Miss Amanda."

Mandie sighed. "No, I don't imagine Tsa'ni would be one to blunder around leaving trails," she agreed. "But if he's in trouble, I think there might be signs of distress. Maybe he got hurt and had to drag himself somewhere. That would leave a trail. Or maybe we'll just run into him at some point today. We just don't know, and until we do, I can't give up."

"Certainly, I understand," Riley said. "If he is hurt, than it's imperative that we find him."

"Yes, that is exactly what I think," Mandie agreed. "But it does no good worrying about anything until we find him, so let's change the subject. How is the school going for my Cherokee kinspeople?"

"Well now, Miss Amanda, that is a much more encouraging subject," Riley began, and then preceded to talk of nothing else for the next hour. They followed the general line that Dimar had mapped out for them, Mandie taking care to leave a trail and combing each area for signs of Tsa'ni—or any signs at all, for that matter. Riley followed close behind her, talking endlessly, and happily indulging in the frequently one-sided conversation. Mandie replied now and again, but mostly she let him talk, since it was too hard to concentrate on the search if she was busy chatting.

Snowball was finally interested enough in walking, so she let him down and kept a firm hold on his leash, though he hadn't tried any daring escape attempts yet. They stopped about two hours into their search and rested for a couple of minutes. Mandie was very grateful that Riley had thought to bring water along.

"Still no sign of Tsa'ni," Riley said, after they had started searching again.

"Still no sign of anything," Mandie added, stooping to brush some leaves aside for a clearer view of the soil. "I was thinking that maybe at least we'd come across some clues about those strangers. We're heading north, closer to them than any of the others."

"I never thought of that," said Riley. "Do you suppose they have anything to do with your cousin's disappearance?"

Mandie shrugged, snapping a branch as she passed it. "It's hard to tell with Tsa'ni. Sometimes he just disappears. It sure is frustrating, but there's nothing for it, I suppose. If those men _are_ involved, then he might be in real trouble. I think Dimar is worried, and that worries me."

"And what you do think about those men, Miss Amanda?" Riley asked her. "I assume you're curious about them."

Mandie smiled ruefully, even though he couldn't see her expression. " _Very_ curious, Mr. O'Neal. I think they're up to something, but I'm not sure what. They've been awfully suspicious, and there was an incident back in Franklin that leads me to believe that whatever they're doing, it's not good."

"What happened in Franklin?" Riley questioned, his breathing slightly uneven as they made their way up a steep slope.

"Oh, just a bit of trouble on my uncle's property," Mandie answered him, not wanting to get into a long explanation. "There were two Indians—Choctaw, we think—who warned us from coming here and interfering. We think they must be involved with those men. They've given the Cherokee some trouble in the past."

"Yes," said Riley, "I remember the story about the hospital. Dr. Woodard told me about it. I'm glad we weren't given so much difficulty with the school."

"Me too," Mandie agreed, then fell quiet so she could concentrate on her tracking again. Riley talked for awhile longer about the classes he hoped to introduce in the fall, but Mandie didn't pay him much attention. She was beginning to recognize some of her surroundings, and she supposed that they must have been near here the day before, when Dimar took them to see the strangers.

"We must be nearing the northern border of the reservation," Mandie informed Mr. O'Neal, when he had paused a moment in his opinion on modern schooling. "I recognize some of this. I haven't been all over the reservation, of course—nowhere near, in fact—but I've been up aways this direction before, with Dimar and Sallie and Uncle Ned. I think there's a ridge farthur to the west of us, and those men can't be farthur then a few miles."

"Really?" said Riley. "Which direction?"

"Northeast, I guess," Mandie answered. "We didn't go exactly this way with Dimar, but I have a good idea of where we are." She sat down on a rock to rest for a minute, and took a drink of water.

"I take it you've seen them, then," Riley guessed, leaning against a tree.

She hadn't meant to tell him, but she supposed it didn't matter. "Yesterday," she said. "We didn't learn much though. And Dimar's been watching them for days now."

"And Tsa'ni as well," Riley added. "That's why you're worried that the men may have had something to do with him."

"That's right," said Mandie. She glanced at him, an idea forming. "I don't suppose you'd be up for going down there? I mean, if we don't have any more luck searching. I know it's out of our way, but..." she shrugged. "We might as well get something out of our search."

"Well now, I don't know," said Riley slowly, lowering himself onto a rock. "What if we get caught?"

Mandie waved an unconcerned hand. "We'll be fine," she said. "We don't have to get too close. I just want to see if they've moved on."

"I suppose it makes sense," Riley agreed, "since we're already up here, like you said. But remember, we're supposed to meet the others back at the hospital in the afternoon, so we might not have time once we're finished searching."

"We'll see what happens," Mandie decided. "I would like to get another look at those men, but you're right, we'll need to starting heading back eventually." She paused, suddenly, and glanced at Snowball, who also seemed alert. _What was that_? "Did you hear that?" she asked Riley.

He frowned. "No. What?"

She held up a hand. "It was like muffled rattling." She strained her ears.

"You mean like a snake?" said Riley, looking quickly around.

Mandie shook her head. "No, not like that. It must be some ways away, but it sounded big, whatever it was—there it is again!" She shot to her feet. "It must be someone up near the ridge! I bet it's Tsa'ni!"

"Why would your cousin be rattling?" Riley asked, looking confused. He had drawn up his feet and was still glancing around uncertainly.

"I don't know," said Mandie impatiently. "It sounded like... like a wagon! I've got to catch up to it—here, Mr. O'Neal, you take Snowball." She quickly handed him the leash. "I've got to be fast and I can't go running after whoever it is with him. Wait here, okay?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Riley asked doubtfully. "It doesn't seem safe to me, you going off by yourself."

"I'll be fine," she answered hurriedly. "If I need you, I'll whistle. See you in a bit!" She dashed off before he could continue protesting, her heart pumping with excitement. She ran through the woods, trying to be careful not to stress her bad ankle, but too determined to uncover the source of the noise to pay it much mind. She felt sure that whoever it was was heading for the ridge, and she thought she might be able to cut them off just before they reached it.

Mandie pushed on a few more minutes, stopping only to listen for the sound. It was louder now, and she knew she was getting close. She could hear the faint creaking of wheels and the hooves of a horse. It was definitely a wagon. She wasn't sure now that it _was_ Tsa'ni—it could be one of the strangers. But whoever it was, something told her that she was about to find the first clue to unraveling this mystery!

* * *

Alright, so like I said, I'm headed off to the beach this week. I'll try and update again maybe by the end of the month or the start of October. And I swear that the next chapter will have a bit more of Mandie/Joe!

Since these questions seem to be good conversation starters (in fact, I think I'll keep them in mind for future dates. I'm sure that won't be weird or anything. [this is why I'm still single]), Mandie and her friends have been debating Senator Morten vs Mr. Guyer. Who do you guys think Grandmother Taft would pick (if she ever _did_ pick). Like I said in my story, I'm definitely inclined towards Senator Morten (just because he's such an awesome old guy).


	6. Chapter 6

Happy belated Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year, everybody! I can't believe I haven't updated since SEPTEMBER! … actually, yes, I can. Haha. It's been a crazy fourish months since I left you all hanging at the end of chapter five, with plenty of highs and lows happening. The high being that I'm leaving to go on a cruise on Thursday (!) and the low probably being that day in October that I accidentally dumped a glass of water on my laptop and killed it so I had to take it in to get everything off of my hard drive or I would have lost all of my projects forever. Yeah. That was a fun couple of weeks. But all's well that ends well. I've made friends with my new laptop and we get along pretty well most days (except for that time when I was all set to watch some old musicals and it decided that it was exactly the right time to start running some updates that were "very important", "highly recommended" and "should be done right away"). So yeah. Life is pretty much the same for me in 2017, with, of course, the added thrill of cruising. Here's to hoping that there's a Jonathan Guyerish stowaway on my ship as well!

Reviews:

 **Mandiefan:** I love writing/reading/allthings Mandie too much to quit any time soon! And like I said, I have several story ideas mapped out, as well as some key and/or completely random scenes already written (lots of MandieXJoe because I just can't help myself). Is 'Mandie and the Secret Lover' the fanfic you and your friend have been working on? If it is, good job! I've been enjoying it! Hmm so you like Mr. Guyer better, but suspect that Mrs. Taft would go for the Senator... I love Senator Morten regardless, but you're right, he can be a bit serious sometimes! I like to think though that he is a secret admirer of Mandie and her friends' shenanigans ;) Haha so yeah not too much going for my updating habits, but as always, I will never abandon my story, not matter how long the updates take!

 **Neon-Night-Light:** I see that you've been doing a bit of mending between Mandie and Polly in your fanfic, which I totally love. I mean, I guess there's a bit too much water under the bridge for them to be besties, but still... it was weird how fast their relationship deteriorated, and I'm so glad you're giving it attention! And yeah it was completely Joe's fault, haha. 'Tiptoeing the line of creepiness' OMG that is the most perfect description of Riley EVER. That was amazing. I hope you enjoy this chapter because yeah, Joe's getting her out of trouble again!

 **MandieFan:** Wait a minute – the 'Secret Lover' fanfic must be _yours_! Right? I think so, because the author uses 'MandieFan' the same way... I'M SO CONFUSED. If it's yours, then I'll say again, great job! I love it! If it's not, then just disregard that... Another vote for Senator Morten! Woot! He's amazing. Thank you for your kind words! They mean so much to me. I hope you enjoy all the MandieXJoe in this chapter!

 **Guest:** yes! you guys, we should obviously start a Senator Morten fanclub! You're right, Grandmother Taft is veeeerry opionionated, and I think the Senator does a good job balancing her out.

 **Mk4life:** */initiates Senator Morten fanclub because he is clearly the best and most beloved character*/ glad you like the story! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

My apologies, you guys, but as always, my editing attention-span is like -12. I'm sure there are plenty of errors to keep you entertained.

* * *

Mandie hurried through the trees, trying to remember any particulars about this section of the mountains. If she could determine where the wagon was heading, she might be able to get ahead of it and cut it off. She knew that whoever it was couldn't go too much farther by wagon – the trees grew too thick and the ground was too rocky and steep. She also remembered a sudden overhang with a long drop that Dimar had once shown her. If they weren't careful – or weren't aware of it – anyone fool enough to take a wagon up here could roll right off the edge. She was almost certain now that she wasn't chasing Tsa'ni. He would be the last person to go clattering around like this. _But this is a pretty quiet part of the reservation_ , Mandie reminded herself. No one would be around to hear him anyway.

She cut between the trees and scrambled over rocks, ignoring the branches that whipped by her face and snagged her hair and the dirt smudging her hands and clothes. _So what if it isn't Tsa'ni, but one of those men? Or maybe even that Indian from Franklin? How am I supposed to confront him?_ Mandie slowed for a second, realizing that Riley might have been right to caution her. What was she going to do when she caught up with the wagon? She wasn't exactly intimidating, and who knew what the strangers were capable of? She pushed the nagging fear away and quickened her pace again. She would think of something – the important thing now was to make sure they didn't get away. She jumped over a fallen log, wincing a little at the familiar twinge in her bad ankle. She would have to be careful not to hurt it or again, or she'd be spending the next few days locked in the cabin, under the overly watchful eyes of her mother and Morning Star.

The groan of wagon wheels and a flash of movement captured her attention—there! Mandie could see it now, a little ways ahead. She strained her eyes – it looked like he was hauling something in the wagon bed. _I have to get that wagon!_ She knew there was no chance she could overpower the man all by herself, but if she could figure out what he was hauling, they just might have their answer to the men's mysterious activities. She started running again, scrambling to come up with a plan. _Think fast, Mandie!_ Her mind raced furiously. Maybe if she could distract them, or startle them, she would have the upper hand. They might even abandon the wagon, since it would be quicker now to continue on foot. Her heartbeat quickened with excitement. She felt sure the wagon would have some evidence of whatever those men were up to. She bit her lip, knowing that Joe would think it was a completely ridiculous and foolhardy plan... but weren't most of her plans like that? Besides, Joe wasn't around to disapprove. She shook off her uncertainty and swerved to the left, where the trees were cleared enough for a wagon to come through. It was still farther ahead of her, but she could see clearly enough now to tell that it certainly wasn't Tsa'ni, or the Indian from Franklin. It must be one of the men from the border. She hesitated barely a moment and then yelled, before she could change her mind, "Hey, you—stop!"

The man driving jerked his head around and saw her. He snapped the reins at the horse pulling the wagon and they lurched forward at a faster pace.

Mandie waved her arms and kept running towards him. "Stop right there, Mister!" _So much for him abandoning the wagon,_ Mandie thought wryly. She ducked into the cover of the woods, dodging limbs and weaving in and out between boulders and trees. She pumped her legs faster, gritting her teeth against the discomfort in her ankle. She should have waited until she was closer to surprise him – but there was still a chance that he would leave the wagon to get away on foot. She brushed flyaway hairs out of her eyes and then gasped when her foot slipped on a patch of loose soil and leaves. She slid to a halt and landed awkwardly on her side.

Mandie laid there for a moment to catch her breath and then groaned and rolled over, pushing herself up and standing on shaky legs. Thankfully, it was her good foot that had taken the slide, and her hip and elbow that had taken the brunt of the fall. She pressed a finger to her hip and winced. "That will be a nice black-and-blue by tomorrow morning," Mandie muttered. She shook her head and sighed, noting the distance between her and the wagon.

"Shucks!" Mandie proclaimed, kicking at loose pebbles in her frustration. "I'll never catch up to him on this confounded ankle!"

"Mandie!"

She spun around. Joe was riding towards her, astride one of Uncle Ned's horses.

"Joe!" she called, laughing and waving at him. "Just in time!"

He held out his arm as he neared her, and she grabbed hold of his hand, letting him pull her up behind him.

"We can cut him off if we go left through the woods," Mandie instructed, grasping Joe's shoulders. "We'll have to hurry, though. And try to keep out of sight. I don't think he's seen you, so we might be able to catch up and take him by surprise."

"Fine," said Joe, glancing at her over his shoulder. "But it will never do with you gingerly holding my shoulders." He reached up and pulled her hands down firmly around his waist. Mandie's heartbeat quickened and she blushed furiously, glad that Joe could not see her expression. Joe gathered the reins back up in his hands, but he didn't spur the horse to a start. A silent few moments passed, until Mandie, growing more uncomfortable with their nearness by the second, said tensely to Joe's back,

"Well? We won't catch anybody at this rate."

Joe turned slightly in the saddle and said, "I was just taking a moment to enjoy this."

"Joe Woodard!" Mandie exclaimed, her blush deepening. She wished she were a thousand miles away instead of being pressed up against Joe, her arms wrapped around his waist.

Joe looked at her over his shoulder again. "You're blushing!" he said, a broad grin on his face. "Why, Mandie!"

"Oh!" Mandie said furiously. "Would you kindly get on with it?"

Joe chuckled and lightly kicked the horse's flank, urging him to a fast start. It was so sudden that Mandie had to lean forward and clutch Joe's waist more tightly. She seethed, knowing he had done it on purpose. Of all the times to joke around! He was acting more like Jonathan than himself.

She maintained a stony silence for a few minutes, as Joe navigated their way through the forest, and tried to force her fluttering stomach to settle down. However many times she tried to reason with herself, however, her stomach seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to her nearness to Joe. He seemed perfectly at ease, much like he had when he'd carried her down the mountain, and she hated him for it.

The silence only seemed to be making things worse, though, so she finally broke it, asking a question she'd been pondering: "How did you know to come look for me, anyhow, Joe? Did you catch up with Mr. O'Neal?"

"Oh, you're talking to me again, are you?" Joe asked.

"Stop being smart and answer the question," Mandie snapped.

He snorted, urging the horse to a faster trot. "Yes, I found Riley back there where you left him. Some companion he turned out to be. What was he thinking, let you tear off on your own? Not that he would be much of help anyway."

Mandie felt a rise of elation—he was worried about her and Mr. O'Neal! She kept it from her voice, though, and said, "Really, Joe. Mr. O'Neal is a missionary, a good friend, and a kind man. There's no reason for you to dislike him."

"Maybe so," said Joe flatly, "But that man has been obviously smitten with you ever since he first met you—when you were thirteen. It may not bother you, but it sure bothers me."

"Honestly, Joe!" Mandie reprimanded him. "It's my concern, not yours. If I'm not bothered by Mr. O'Neal, then you shouldn't be. I wish you would be friends with him."

"Fine," said Joe shortly. "I won't concern myself with it anymore."

"Good," said Mandie, ignoring the jab his words caused, and immediately wishing she hadn't brought the subject up. "Besides, the first time he met me was when I practically fell right in front of his wagon. It was a first impression well-worth remembering."

"I thought we weren't talking about it anymore," Joe said tersely.

Mandie glared at the back of his head. "You are making me so mad, Joe Woodard!" she said. "What's gotten in to you?"

"Nothing's gotten in to me," said Joe. "All I want to know is why you're so fired up about me getting along with O'Neal."

Mandie ducked as they went under a branch. "I'm not fired up about anything. I just like all of my friends to be friends with each other, that's all."

"I don't think friendship is what Riley O'Neal has in mind," Joe muttered.

Mandie's face flamed. "Well, that's just none of your business," she retorted.

"Is that right?" demanded Joe.

"That's right," Mandie said angrily, and they lapsed back into silence. Her insides were churning so much that she was afraid she might be sick. She and Joe rarely fought like this, and whenever they did, it cut her to the core. They were best friends; they weren't supposed to hurt each other like this.

She was as angry at herself as she was at Joe. It was her own fault for starting the conversation, anyway. And it was much too hard to sort her thoughts out clearly when she was so close to Joe. She was tempted to put her hands back on his shoulders, but then he would know how affected she was, and that was certainly the last impression she wanted to give. She chewed on her lip, wishing she hadn't pushed him in the first place. She should be grateful that he showed up when he did instead of being flippant just because he was a little over protective. _Why do things have to be so much more difficult between us now that we're older? Or maybe it's just me that can't grow up. Maybe I'm the problem, not Joe._ Mandie sighed and tightened her arms around Joe's waist.

"Sorry, Joe," she said quietly.

He pressed his hand on top of hers. "Me too."

Mandie smiled and leaned forward. "I didn't mean to – look, Joe! The wagon!"

"I see it," Joe said. "I wonder what they're doing up here, anyway. We must be a good four miles or so from their camp. Where's he heading?" He turned his head a little to glance over his shoulder at Mandie. "Didn't you and Dimar say once that there was a steep drop-off on this path?"

"Yes, I was thinking about that too," said Mandie. "It could be dangerous if you don't know it's coming."

"Wait a minute," Joe said, lowering his voice and slowing the horse. "Look, they're slowing down."

Mandie sat up straighter to look over his shoulder. He was right, the wagon had slowed to a stop. They watched as the man jumped down from the seat to tie the horse off and then walked around to the back.

"Now's our chance," Mandie whispered. "He won't have time to take the wagon."

Joe nodded and spurred the horse on to a gallop. "Hey!" he called. "You're trespassing on Cherokee land!" They weren't close enough yet to make out the man's face, but they could see him leap back, startled, before turning and running away through the woods.

"We did it!" Mandie exclaimed, laughing. They neared the abandoned wagon and Joe reined in the horse to a walk. She unhooked her arms from Joe's waist. "Come on, let's see what he left."

"Should we try and catch him?" Joe asked, looking in the direction the man had fled.

"First let's investigate the wagon," Mandie decided. "It might tell us something."

"If you say so," said Joe, swinging his leg around to dismount before helping Mandie down, his hands settling on her waist for a brief moment.

Mandie's breath hitched, and she quickly pulled away. "Come on!" she urged him, racing over to the wagon. She skidded to a halt and climbed into the back of it. The horse attached to it paid her no mind as it started to graze.

"Be careful, Mandie," Joe warned her, coming over to the side.

"It's just a pile of old burlap sacks," she said, disappointed. "Maybe there's…" she shifted some of the sacks aside, and then reeled back in horror when her hand brushed against human hair.

"What's wrong?" Joe demanded, flinging the backboard open.

Mandie snatched away more of the bags with a sickening feeling in her stomach, and revealed the bruised face of her cousin. "Oh, Joe, it's Tsa'ni!" she gasped, her voice catching. "Quick, help me uncover him!"

"Tsa'ni?" repeated Joe, shocked. He jumped up beside her and pushed away the burlap until Tsa'ni's full form came into view, bound and gagged.

Mandie brushed his black hair away from his still face. "Is he… is he dead, Joe?" she asked, fearful of checking herself. She couldn't even tell if his chest was rising and falling—if it was, it was barely noticeable.

Joe frowned. "I don't think so," he answered, reaching to feel Tsa'ni's wrist for a pulse. "No, he's just unconscious."

Mandie felt tears of relief sting her eyes. "Oh, thank you, God!" she exclaimed. "But look at him, Joe! He's hurt—hurt badly."

Joe worked at untying the Cherokee boy's wrists and ankles. "It looks like he was beaten by someone," Joe said quietly.

Mandie swallowed hard. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Joe nodded. "I'm afraid so. Look, his ribs are black and blue and his face is swollen pretty badly. I guess someone wanted him quiet."

Anger filled Mandie as she gently removed her cousin's gag. "And that man is long gone by now," she said bitterly. "I sure would like to catch him and make him answer for this!"

"We will eventually. But for now, we need to get Tsa'ni to someone who can help," Joe reminded her grimly. "I don't think his ribs are broken, but he's going to be in a lot of pain when he wakes up."

Mandie's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Joe, I just knew he was in trouble! Poor Tsa'ni, I can't imagine what he went through."

"Yes, I guess you were right about him," said Joe, smiling at her. "Come on—pile these sacks up behind his head and check for more serious injuries. I'll get the water skins from the horse. I don't think we should move him before we're sure he's okay."

Mandie did as instructed, careful not to put too much pressure on Tsa'ni's bruised body. She took the water Joe handed to her and wet the edge of her dress, cleaning off the dirt and dried blood that encrusted Tsa'ni's face and wrists. Joe watched without a comment.

"They must have tied his wrists awfully tight," Mandie said, showing Joe the bruises and raw skin that matched the rope indentations on Tsa'ni's wrists.

"Maybe we should wrap them up in something to keep them clean," Joe suggested, searching through the pile of sacks for something to use.

"I'll do it," said Mandie, and reached down to rip to strips off of the bottom of her petticoat. "Just don't tell Mother."

Joe chuckled. "This is getting to be a habit," he joked.

Mandie shrugged and returned his grin. "I never thought a petticoat could be so useful." She finished cleaning away the blood, and quickly, but gently, wrapped Tsa'ni's wrists in the strips. She used the remaining water in the skin to wet his forehead, dabbing at it with her dress.

Tsa'ni stirred suddenly, and groaned.

"He's waking up!" Mandie said excitedly. Joe climbed back into the wagon and crouched beside them.

Mandie waited anxiously, until Tsa'ni's eyes finally fluttered open.

"Tsa'ni?" said Mandie, brushing his hair away from his forehead with her fingers. Her cousin groaned again, wincing in pain. "Tsa'ni, it's alright," Mandie assured him. "You're safe. It's me, Mandie. Joe and I found you."

Tsa'ni turned his head stiffly and looked up at her through swollen eyes.

"Mandie?" he mumbled, his lips puffy and sore.

"Yes, it's me. You're okay. Would you like some water?"

He nodded, with obvious difficulty, and Joe handed her the second skin. She lifted Tsa'ni's head carefully and held the water to his lips, making sure he drank it slowly.

"I thank you," Tsa'ni said, when he had finished. "How—how did you come to find me?"

"We didn't know you were in this wagon," Mandie said. "Joe and I were chasing the man who was driving it, and when we cut him off, he ran off and left the wagon behind. We found you tied up under all these sacks."

Tsa'ni grimaced and tried to sit up, but Mandie gently held him down. "You should not try to move, Tsa'ni," she instructed him. "Joe says your ribs are very badly bruised. You must be in a lot of pain."

"I am alright," Tsa'ni insisted. "The bruises are old—maybe three days, four. I do not know how long exactly. I do not remember when I was caught."

Mandie exchanged a glance with Joe. "You've been missing nearly a week, Tsa'ni," Mandie informed him.

Her cousin frowned, and then winced at the pain it caused. "Yes, that sounds right," he said slowly. He moved to sit up again, and Joe held a hand up before Mandie could protest. She watched as Joe carefully helped Tsa'ni into a sitting position.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Joe spoke up. "Do you remember?"

Tsa'ni's eyes narrowed with anger. "Yes, I remember," he said. "I was watching those men. Dimar helped too, sometimes. But he went back, saying he must get word to Sallie's grandfather. We knew they were up to no good."

"Dimar said you had been keeping an eye on them," Mandie said. "But he said you planned to return to Bird-town, and update Uncle Wirt and the others on what was happening."

"I was captured before I could," Tsa'ni ground out. "I sneaked into their camp to search through their papers they are always working on, and one of them came up behind me and struck me with a shovel. When I woke up, I was in someplace dark. I do not know where. But some of the men visited, and they warned me to keep my mouth shut." He scoffed, his arms crossed over his bruised ribs. "As if I would listen to what a white man told me! When I refused, they beat me, I guess to teach me a lesson." His black eyes glittered. "I think that they did not realize it would have the opposite effect!"

"Oh, how awful," said Mandie. "But where was that man bringing you?"

Tsa'ni shrugged one shoulder. "I overheard them talking last night. From what you say, I suppose I had been there for four or five days. One of the men said that they could not risk me escaping. He told the man with the wagon 'get rid of him. Make it look like an accident.'"

Mandie felt a rush of anger. "How could they?" she said furiously. "To think they planned to murder you and pretend it was an accident! That does it, Joe! We simply must get to the bottom of this. Those men are going to pay for the evils they've done." Her chest was heaving with emotion, but Tsa'ni seemed perfectly calm despite his near death.

"They tied me up and knocked me out again, just to be on the safe side, and I do not remember anything else until I woke up here," he finished.

"Well, we're going to get you some help and then put a stop to this once and for all," Mandie vowed. "I want those men in jail if it's the last thing I do!"

"That might be harder then you think, Mandie," Joe pointed out. "We still need to prove that they are doing something illegal."

"And attempted murder is not illegal?" Mandie demanded emphatically, gesturing towards Tsa'ni.

"Of course it is," Joe replied, "But who is to say that the authorities would believe us?"

"Why shouldn't they believe us?" Mandie said. "Tsa'ni was clearly beaten! There are no reasons to discredit us—"

"Joe is right," Tsa'ni interrupted surprisingly. Both Joe and Mandie stared at him. "We will not go to the white man's law," Tsa'ni said. "We must solve it ourselves. We only need some proof. I believe that the men are re-working maps and boundary lines to steal parts of the Reservation from the Cherokee."

"Why would they do that?" Mandie questioned, shocked by her cousin's theory.

Tsa'ni met her gaze evenly. "Has not the white man always stolen from the Cherokee what is ours?"

Mandie frowned at him. "I agree that my Cherokee kinspeople, and all Indians, have been treated terribly by our government, but things are changing now. Not all white people hate Indians, Tsa'ni."

"Maybe," he said, clearly unconvinced. "But you cannot deny that they have no right to trespass. It seems obvious to me that they are trying to steal our land."

"But why?" Mandie pressed him.

"Maybe they really are searching for gold," Joe put in.

Mandie shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. They had all the wrong tools, and the ones they did have, they just used for digging up random bushes and boulders. Tsa'ni's theory would actually fit with that fact. It does seem like they were changing land marks."

"But then what would they want the Cherokee land for?" Joe persisted.

"I told you!" Tsa'ni said. "It is the white man's way."

"That's just plain foolishness, Tsa'ni," Mandie argued. "They are not trying to steal y'all's land just because you're Indians."

"We will see," he said stubbornly. He looked at his hands, suddenly, as though just noticing the bandages. "My wrists," he said, looking at Mandie.

"They were torn up pretty badly from the ropes those men tied them with," she quickly explained. "Joe and I thought it best to keep them clean until we could get help. I thought the water might help soothe the raw skin, too."

Tsa'ni looked down at his hands for a long moment, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Mandie remained silent, after exchanging a glance with Joe.

"I guess we'd better get you back to Uncle Ned's," Mandie said finally, breaking the tense silence. "Everyone will want to know that you are safe." She frowned. "Except everyone will be waiting for us at the hospital. And that might be the best idea, considering the shape you're in, Tsa'ni. It's farther than Deep Creek, but—"

"I will be fine," Tsa'ni interrupted. "We can go to the Cherokee hospital."

"Alright," agreed Joe, after a moment. "I'll drive the wagon, Mandie, if you don't mind riding the horse." He stood and swung himself over the side of the wagon.

Mandie nodded. "I'll leave the water with you, Tsa'ni, but I think you should stay in the back of the wagon. Use the sacks to keep your head propped up."

Tsa'ni nodded, surprisingly, and made no argument. Mandie exchanged another glance with Joe, before moving to hop out of the wagon.

"Wait," said Tsa'ni, reaching to grasp her wrist. She paused, and turned to look down at him.

Her cousin's throat worked as he swallowed hard several times, and his dark eyes did not seem as cynical as usual. She waited silently, holding Tsa'ni's gaze with her own.

"Thank you," he said.

Mandie felt tears rise to her eyes, but she fought them back, knowing that Tsa'ni was unlikely to be farther moved by such a display of emotion. He scorned sentiment, she knew, but she also knew that his gratitude was heartfelt. He meant that "thank you"—Tsa'ni did not express appreciation lightly. _I think Tsa'ni is finally starting to truly view me as his cousin_ , she realized—and that was worth more to her then any exaggerated emotion.

"You are welcome, Tsa'ni," Mandie replied, and turned away. Joe held out his hand, and she grasped it, clambering down from the wagon. She ignored the amazed expression on Joe's face and retrieved the horse where Joe had left it, tied to a tree.

"Here, let me help," Joe offered, gesturing to the horse.

"Thank you," said Mandie, allowing him to once again grasp her waist and boost her into the saddle. Once she was seated she looked down at him. "I suppose we'd better go back the way we came. Riley O'Neal will be worried."

Joe shook his head. "I told him to start heading back to the hospital, and that we would meet up with everybody there. We'll be getting there late at this point."

"That was smart," Mandie agreed. She glanced over at Tsa'ni in the wagon. "Hopefully he'll meet up with Dimar and Celia or Jonathan and Sallie on the way."

"Everybody?" Tsa'ni questioned, looking at both of them. "Why are you and all your friends split up?"

"We spent the morning searching for you," Mandie answered. "We've all been so worried. Dimar decided we could cover the most ground if we split into groups, with the intention to meet again this afternoon at the Cherokee hospital."

Tsa'ni looked down at his hands and didn't answer, most likely uncomfortable with the thought that Mandie and her friends had been out looking for him. _Well, he sure is lucky that we_ were _worried about him! He'd be in some awful straits right now if we hadn't come along_.

Joe gathered the reins up, but instead of passing them to her, he placed his hand on her thigh. Mandie looked at him, raising her eyebrows at his serious expression.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm worried," he said, his voice low.

Mandie grinned. "What else is new?"

"Mandie, be serious for a minute," Joe admonished her, keeping his voice low enough for only her to hear. "This is becoming much more dangerous than we thought. Those men didn't think twice about tossing your cousin over the side of a cliff. They might not have succeeded, but they'll know you're the one who found him. That means you already know too much. You stirred up trouble for them in Franklin, and now you're an even bigger threat. If you're not careful, who knows what they might do—"

"I'll be careful, Joe," Mandie interjected, covering his hand with hers. "Really," she added, seeing his skeptical look. "Besides, I'm not afraid. I have you, remember?" She took the reins from him. "Now let's get going, or we'll never make to the hospital before dark, much less this afternoon!"

* * *

It's good to be home among my fellow Mandiefans again, you guys! I hope you all forgive me for the wait and I also hope you enjoyed the chapter. Again, my sincerest apologies for the completely LAME mystery plot, but it's too late to change it so... and not that I could come up with something better anyway!  
New question: what's your favorite, or which scene do you think is the best Mandie/Joe moment? I think every time they're at the cemetery together is adorable, and also that part in _Buried Stranger_ when he says she's beautiful is A + + +


	7. Chapter 7

Y'all this is why I don't have friends. In fact, I can't believe you guys have stuck around so long. I'm such a terrible person haha. But hopefully you all knew that no matter how long it took – I would return! The past year has been pretty crazy. Lots of exciting trips, lots of boring work, and lots of writing! I don't like to brag, but I think I'm doing a little bit better than _other_ Mandie writers that I could name... **dghalkdhfk** _ **neonnightlight**_ **shdfnaksdjfakjsf**. Anyway, first things first:

I'd like to call to order the first meeting of the Official Senator Morten Fan Club. Thank you all for attending. Our first order of business is to pledge our support to Senator Morten's relationship with Grandmother Taft, over any other potential suitors, namely Lindall Guyer. **NOTE** I do realize that some of my reviewers expressed their preferred admiration for Mr. Guyer. However, it was a fair vote, and the Senator Morten fangirls have it. We are now all stuck in the Fan Club by default.

Reviews:

 **Maya-Papaya13** : thank you! I'm so glad you like the story. As for Mandie and Joe kissing... well, it will eventually happen, but not in this story. Guess you'll just have to stick around with me for the next 75384753 years to see what happens!

 **Guest** : omg I have to admit that I really loved writing that part (when Mandie puts her arms around Joe's waist on the horse, for anyone wondering). It felt so Mandie/Joe but I also liked how it portrayed that their relationship is definitely shifting into something more, whether Mandie wants to admit it or not! As for Dimar and Sallie... I really haven't decided where I want them to go. I mean, it's clear from the books that Dimar is still into Mandie, so I will have to do something about that eventually. Sallie seems to like Dimar, but then Tsa'ni also has a soft spot for her. I guess we'll see!

 **MandieFan** : I _love_ the ending of _Seaside Rendezvous_! It was so cute. I remember reading it for the first time and when Joe said he loved her I nearly melted. Thanks for your kind words, and for waiting for this next update!

 **Neon-Night-Light** : haha I've accidentally deleted so many of my reviews that I'm honestly surprised I still bother to write them, since I get so frustrated. Thank you for your review, as always! I'm so glad you're enjoying Jonathan, and the Mandie/Joe moments I've been sprinkling in. Those are all such great Mandie/Joe scenes! Anything in _The Angel's Secret_ is literally gold I can't even with that book. I loveloveLOVE their farewell in _The Long Goodbye_ and I'd totally forgotten about that adorable moment from _The Missing Schoolmarm_! And the poem from Young Mandie! Joe is too much. Enjoy the update... actually, I take that back. You are forbidden from enjoying the update until you update _Thorns of Love_. Yeesh.

 **Annefan** (guest): thank you! Yes, the Charley Gap books are amazing. Everytime Mandie mentions the graveyard I'm like OMG YES IT'S JOE TIME

 **CantDecideOnUsername** : Mandie and Joe are just perfect, I know, and _Missing Kin_ soooo good. Also that argument they have near the end is hilarious.

 **Fireflylover** (guest): I think the fact that the infamous _Seaside Rendezvous_ party/Joe's adorable declaration of love takes place at Senator Morten just adds to his amazing traits. In fact, he is probably a major Mandie/Joe fangirl. This is why he has a Fan Club! Enjoy the update!

 **Guest** : sorry it took so long! Enjoy!

 **MandieFan** : haha I love how you are going back to older chapters so you can review again and tell me to update. I really am a terrible person lol.

 **MandieWoodard** (guest): _Buried Stranger_ is just so cute all the way through! Thank you for reviewing, and especially for saying it reminds you of the originals! That is the best compliment/encouragement I can receive. I will keep writing, I promise! And yes, I'm on wattpad, my username is **ci_marie**. I don't have any Mandie on there, though. I only post my parodies. One is called _The Haunted Mansion Cliche_ which is a major crossover between loads of different fandoms – Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, Avengers, Sherlock, Star Wars... pretty much, if you name a fandom, it's in it at some point. I also have my Dr. Quinn parody on there. Anyway, thank you again for both your reviews, I'm so glad you like my stories! And those quotes are all adorable. I love all the times they mention Joe while she's in Europe! Enjoy!

 **CantDecideOnUsername** : omg you guys are all literally reviewing other chapters because I'm such an update disappointment. That scene in _Mandie and the Medicine Man_ is perfect! I've re-read that book about three times in the past year, just for reference in my story, and every time I read that part I sigh ^.^ Thank you for your faithful reviews, and more importantly, for joining the Official Senator Morten Fan Club!

 **Guest** : I'm so sorry for making you wait so long! Enjoy the update!

 **Guest** : here you go! Thanks for reading!

 **Booklover** (guest): thank you thank you thank you! That is just what I need to hear! Yes, I am still updating, and yes, I will keep writing Mandie fics! Trust me, no matter how long it takes, I do not abandon stories. That's too cruel! Thank you so much for your kind words, you have no idea how helpful they are! I'm really glad that you like the stories, and that you appreciate my attempt to remain faithful to the originals. There will of course be plenty of development between Mandie and Joe as the stories continue!

 **Anne Shirley** (guest): sorry for making you wait so long! Enjoy!

 **SavageFaith** : Wow! Thank you so, so much! This is so encouraging. And Joe's childish jealousy is definitely a must-have (sorry for disappointing you all when he didn't freak at Jonathan carrying Mandie in the last story. I still feel bad about that!). Don't worry, I will keep writing!

 **SmallNotesConcerncingMyThoughts** : I'm soooo sorry for the wait! Thank you for reviewing, and don't worry about bugging me. I clearly need to be bugged about updates lol. Thank you for your kindness towards my pitiful mystery. I'm hoping to make it a _little_ better, but we'll see hah. I'm glad you like my Mandie/Joe moments! There will be more!

Again, thank you to everyone who continues to read and review. I apologize for the very long delay. Enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think!

* * *

The sun was high overhead, and though the tall, leafy trees provided plenty of shade, Mandie felt hot and dusty, and perspiration beaded her forehead. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes and attempting to smooth it back into place. They were making slow progress, and she knew that Joe's careful driving was necessary, to keep Tsa'ni as still and comfortable as possible, but she couldn't help feeling impatient. She rode alongside the wagon to keep an eye on her cousin, and tried to think of what their next step should be. They had found Tsa'ni, but were no closer to discovering what the strangers were up to, and as much as she hated to admit it, Joe was right – the men had proved dangerous, and that meant that they were running out of time to solve the mystery before someone else got hurt. _I'm glad I was right about Tsa'ni, that he wasn't involved in this trouble, but it sure would have made things a lot easier if he was!_ She flipped the reins against the palm of her hand, wishing for the hundredth time that they were already at Bird-town so they could start figuring out what to do.

Tsa'ni looked tense and uncomfortable in the wagon bed; whenever it jolted to the side or bumped over something, he winced and held a hand to his ribs, but didn't say anything. Mandie felt a pang of unease, watching him. Those men would have killed Tsa'ni if she and Joe hadn't happened to come along. They needed to be stopped – and soon.

"What I don't understand," Mandie said, breaking the silence, "is how nobody knew that those men had you, Tsa'ni. There were more braves watching the border than just you and Dimar. Even if they missed you getting caught, surely _someone_ would have seen this wagon, and wondered what that man was up to." She shook her head. "I mean, who loads a wagon up with old burlap sacks and heads higher up into the mountains – and deeper into Cherokee land."

"I don't understand that myself," Joe agreed. "Maybe they thought –"

"Those men didn't keep me at the border," Tsa'ni interrupted.

Mandie glanced at him, surprised. "They didn't? Then where were you?"

He frowned. "I am not sure," he said slowly, "but I think it was a cave some miles north of Deep Creek. I know the cave. I have been there before. The white men kept me blindfolded –"

"Then how could you know where you were?" Joe asked, somewhat skeptically.

"I know it was not the border," Tsa'ni insisted. "I listened to them talking, when they thought I was unconscious, and it seemed strange that there were never many people there, and that I could not hear the men outside working."

"That makes sense," Mandie agreed "But why do you think it was this cave?"

"It was familiar to me," Tsa'ni answered. "I know that it only had two open areas – a smaller entrance, and a big space once you go farther in. I remembered that the entrance had dark green moss on the walls. I felt it on my skin. I know of a cave like this."

"And you would be able to find it again?" Mandie asked eagerly, unable to contain her excitement. She slowed her horse to a stop and Joe did the same with the wagon, turning in the seat to look at Tsa'ni.

"Of course," Tsa'ni said, his eyes flashing. "I told you. I have been to the cave before. I know my way around these mountains."

"Yes, yes, I know," said Mandie. "The men might have left a clue behind – and they won't expect Tsa'ni to know where they kept him." She tightened her hold on the reins. "As soon as we get to Bird-town – we'll get you fixed up first, Tsa'ni – we can speak with Uncle Ned, and then we can head for the cave and see if we can find anything."

Tsa'ni shook his head. "That is foolish. The cave is much nearer to Deep Creek. We should go now. Coming back after Bird-town will be a waste of time."

"Tsa'ni, you're in no fit state to go tramping around looking for this cave," Joe warned him. "We need to get you to my father, and then you can tell Uncle Ned where to go."

"Joe's right, Tsa'ni," said Mandie reluctantly, meeting her cousin's angry gaze. "You need to see Dr. Woodard, and stay home to rest and heal." _But_ _Tsa'ni's right too – it will be a waste of time._

"Fine," said Tsa'ni, stiffly. "I am the one who knows where the cave is. I will just go by myself later."

Mandie and Joe exchanged a glance at the Indian boy's stubbornness. Joe looked exasperated, but Mandie wondered if Tsa'ni's idea might be a good one.

"He does have a point, Joe," Mandie began cautiously. "Besides, we won't be going terribly out of our way."

Joe's jaw set briefly. "Mandie," he said impatiently, "You know we have to get Tsa'ni back so my father can look at him—"

"I am fine," Tsa'ni insisted.

Mandie bit her lip, torn between her desire to look for more clues and her anxiety for Tsa'ni. His face seemed strained and pale, even with his browned skin, but his expression was set in angry determination. Joe looked from her to Tsa'ni and threw up his hands.

"Oh, alright," he said. "I can see I'm getting nowhere with you two. We'll have to abandon the wagon once we start to get close, or it will make too much noise."

Mandie nodded. "I know," she said, and glanced at Tsa'ni. "Will you be okay walking a ways?"

"Yes," he answered shortly. She bit back her concerns. It would do no good to try and talk him into staying with the wagon. Tsa'ni was stubborn and foolish, but he was strong.

Joe sighed and flipped the reins, the wagon rolling forward at a slow pace. Mandie guided her horse behind the back, since the path was getting to tight to fit them both. She knew the others would probably have headed for the hospital by now, especially if Riley had found them and let them know they had separated. She and Joe had found Tsa'ni, but now she was desperate to find some clues to bring back to Bird-town, so the Council could decide what to do about the men.

Mandie and Joe left the wagon and the horse behind and followed Tsa'ni as he led them on a winding trail down the mountain. Mandie kept quiet and tried to listen for sounds of the intruders, but she could only hear the familiar sounds of the woods. The men must have left.

They had only been walking for about fifteen minutes when Tsa'ni stopped abruptly and frowned, then pointed to a small hollow just ahead. "Here," he announced. "This is it." Mandie looked around, but didn't see anything that resembled the entrance to a cave. She watched, intrigued, as Tsa'ni limped forward and stepped behind a narrow space between two boulders. "It is hidden just behind these," he explained. "From where you are standing, the entrance is almost invisible."

Mandie exchanged an excited glance with Joe and followed Tsa'ni, slipping between the natural disguise and turning right into the mouth of Tsa'ni's cave. "How did those men find this?" she wondered, moving aside as Joe came up behind her.

"I do not know," Tsa'ni admitted. "But they assumed I could not find my way back to it," he added proudly.

"How far back does it go?" Joe asked.

"There are two chambers," Tsa'ni replied. "The one here and a larger one to the right. It does not go much farther than the back wall there. They kept me in the back part."

"Come on, let's go see it," said Mandie, brushing past her cousin and hugging the stone on the right until she found the opening to the chamber. Without the sunlight that filtered through the mouth of the cave, it was completely dark. She took a few small steps, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. Joe followed her, searching through his pockets. "Here," he said. Mandie turned as he produced a match and a small candle he must have found in the wagon. He struck the match on the wall and lit the candle, illuminating the dark room.

"Good thinking," Mandie said gratefully. She took the candle and walked slowly around the chamber, searching for anything the men might have left behind. "They sure were careful," Mandie remarked. "Not much here besides rocks."

"I don't get it," said Joe. "They're cautious enough to clean up after themselves, tie up any loose ends – cover their tracks to the extent of murder... but keep working and digging in broad daylight for all the world to see. They know they're being watched. What's the point?"

Mandie thought for a moment. "Maybe they _want_ to be watched," she suggested, turning to look at Joe. "Maybe all that nonsense is to distract us from whatever they're doing _here_ – whatever they didn't want Tsa'ni to see."

Joe whistled. "So a cover-up. That could make sense." He glanced at Tsa'ni, who was still standing in the narrow passage between the rooms. "We should head for the hospital," Joe said. "They'll be waiting for us and Tsa'ni needs to see my father. We can tell Uncle Ned everything once we get to Bird-town."

Mandie sighed. "You're right," she agreed, surprised when Tsa'ni didn't argue. "I really thought we would find some answers here." She glanced quickly around again, and held out the candle for Joe to take, then noticed something crumpled and sticking slightly out of a crevice by Tsa'ni's foot. "There's something here!" she said, pushing past Joe and bending down. She frowned, grasping the corner and working it out slowly to keep it from tearing. "It's paper," she said, and added excitedly: "There's some writing on it! Look!"

Joe held the candle carefully over the paper and they both bent down to read it.

 _OUNCES OP. OUNCES_ _SIL_ _. OUNCES_

 _POWDERS MELTED GOODS_

 _175 50_ _210_

230

Mandie glanced at Joe. "What in the world does all that mean?"

"It looks like part of a list of goods... a shipment or something," Joe answered, frowning. "We only have a scrap of the paper, so there must be more."

"Do you think it's a record of what they're using all those crates for?" Mandie asked.

"Could be," said Joe. "Except according to Tsa'ni – and from what Dimar's said as well – those crates are all empty."

"That is right," Tsa'ni confirmed. "The crates they kept with them are all empty. And this still does not explain the digging."

"Unless we're right about all that nonsense being a distraction," Mandie countered.

"Let's talk about it on the way to the hospital," Joe interjected, with a worried glance at Tsa'ni. "Besides, maybe the others will have more news."

Mandie carefully folded the paper and handed it to Joe, who tucked it in the pocket of his trousers. Tsa'ni was leaning against the wall. He tried to look unconcerned, but Mandie could tell by his tight expression and the stiffness of his body that he was in more pain than he cared to admit. She hesitated, than stepped up to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Come on, I'll help you back to the wagon," she said briskly, avoiding his gaze. She thought he would argue, but to her surprise, he placed an arm gingerly across her shoulders. Mandie wisely kept her mouth shut and helped him back through the narrow tunnel and out of the cave. He was limping now, and he kept his free hand pressed against his ribs. Joe passed them and exchanged a glance with Mandie, but made no comment. It took them longer to get back to the wagon, with Mandie and Tsa'ni's slow pace, but once they reached it, Joe helped Tsa'ni into the wagon bed and handed him the canteen of water. Mandie swung herself back up on the horse.

"We're going to the hospital now," Joe said, in a tone that brooked no arguments. He looked suspiciously at Mandie and then Tsa'ni, as if he expected them to protest and insist on another side trip. Tsa'ni closed his eyes and nodded, leaning stiffly against the back of the wagon bed.

"What are you waiting around for?" Mandie asked innocently. "Let's go!" She hid a smile at Joe's exasperated expression and guided her horse around the wagon, starting out at a quick pace towards the Cherokee hospital.

Dimar was the first to spot them. He must have been watching for them, because Mandie had barely seen the walls of the hospital before he came running up.

"Mandie! There you are. We were getting worried." He looked past her to Joe, who was farther behind. "Where did that wagon come from?"

"We'll explain in a moment," said Mandie. "First, we need to get Tsa'ni to Dr. Woodard."

Dimar grabbed the reins to slow her horse. "You found him?"

Mandie nodded. "He's in the wagon. I'll ride ahead and let Dr. Woodard know."

Dimar dropped the reins and ran back to the wagon, and Mandie spurred the horse to a gallop. Sallie was waiting outside the hospital. She hurried up as Mandie dismounted.

"You are back! I was worried – did you find him?" She looked carefully at Mandie. "What is wrong?"

"We found him," Mandie said. "He's hurt pretty bad." She looked past Sallie. "Did Mr. O'Neal make it back okay?"

Sallie nodded. "He arrived about the same time Celia and Dimar did, I think. Jonathan and I only got here an hour or so ago. Mr. O'Neal had to go back to the schoolhouse. Where is Tsa'ni?"

"He's coming. Joe has him in the wagon. Dimar is with them. I need to get Dr. Woodard."

"Of course," said Sallie. "He is inside. I will take the horse."

Mandie thanked her and ran inside. Joe's father was talking with one of the Cherokee who worked regularly in the hospital. "Dr. Woodard!"

He looked around. "There you are, Miss Amanda. I was hoping you and Joe would make it before I had to leave."

"We found Tsa'ni, Dr. Woodard," Mandie explained quickly. "He's hurt. Joe's bringing him now."

Dr. Woodard grabbed his bag and followed her outside, where Joe and Dimar were helping Tsa'ni out of the wagon bed. "Dad!" Joe looked relieved. "I wasn't sure if you would still be here. Nothing is broken, but his ribs and face are bruised pretty badly."

Dr. Woodard frowned and carefully checked Tsa'ni's swollen cheekbone and bruised ribs. Tsa'ni flinched several times, but kept silent. After a minute, Dr. Woodard nodded, looking grim. "You're right, Joe, nothing is broken, but I'll need to bind his ribs. You're going to be in quite a bit of pain the next few weeks, Tsa'ni."

Tsa'ni grimaced and grasped Dimar's shoulder to limp forward. "I will be fine. We need to hurry so we can be on our way to Bird-town."

"Take it easy, Tsa'ni," Joe cautioned him. "You could end up fracturing your ribs if you're not careful."

Mandie and Sallie followed them inside. Tsa'ni lowered himself slowly onto one of the tidy beds lining the wall, and Dr. Woodard took out a strong-smelling ointment to treat his bruised skin.

"We have so much to tell y'all," Mandie said to Dimar and Sallie. She looked around. "But where are Celia and Jonathan?"

"They already went on to Bird-town," Sallie informed her. "Your uncle Jesse was here, hoping we had some news of Tsa'ni. He went on to Bird-town, and Jonathan was tired of 'waiting around,' as he put it. He went along and dragged poor Celia with him. They have my grandfather's wagon."

Mandie smiled. "That sounds like Jonathan. Once Dr. Woodard fixes Tsa'ni up, we can get going. I think we have quite a lot of information that Uncle and the council will want to hear." She pulled the scrap of paper they had found from her pocket. "Look at this!"

Dimar scanned it, frowning, and then handed it to Sallie. She read it quickly. "It is some sort of list?" she guessed, giving it back to Mandie.

"That's what we think," said Mandie. "An account of some sort of goods."

"It's only a small piece of the account, obviously," Joe added. "I don't know how much good it will do, but it's a start."

"If what happened to Tsa'ni is any indication, then we will need to solve this quickly," Dimar said, looking uneasy.

Mandie tucked the paper back in her pocket. "We will," she said confidently. "We'll talk with Uncle Ned and Uncle John, and then decide what to do next. Somehow, this all has to tie together with those strangers in Franklin and those beads Joe and I found."

Dr. Woodward joined them. "I'll need to leave in the next hour or so. I've treated Tsa'ni's face and sides. His ribs will need to be checked regularly, and he can't put too much stress on them, or he might fracture one. There are plenty of supplies here. His wrists will be fine as long as he keeps them clean. They'll be bruised for a little while."

"Thank you, Dr. Woodard," Mandie said gratefully.

"Can he travel to Bird-town?" Joe asked.

Dr. Woodard pressed his lips together, thoughtful. "I suppose so," he said, after a moment. "He will need to ride in the wagon. No horse riding for a week or two." He looked at Tsa'ni, who was still seated on the bed. "I know you want to help as much as you can, but you will need to be careful," he reminded him.

Tsa'ni nodded stiffly, his expression hard. Mandie guessed it was more from pain than anger. "I'll help you to the wagon, Tsa'ni," she said, not wanting to waste another minute. She hugged Dr. Woodard before helping Tsa'ni up, wrapping her arm carefully around his bandaged sides. Joe said goodbye to his father, before following Dimar and Sallie outside.

"I will take the horse, Mandie," said Dimar, as she and Tsa'ni made their way around to the wagon. "You and Sallie can ride with Joe."

"That's fine," Mandie agreed. She and Joe both grasped Tsa'ni's arms to boost him into the back of the wagon, and she jumped up behind. Sallie climbed onto the seat and held the reins out to Joe when he came around.

"Come on," Dimar urged, swinging himself onto the horse. "We can make it to Bird-town in less than an hour if we hurry. Everyone will want to know what Tsa'ni is safe."

"And what those men are capable of," Mandie added, exchanging a glance with Joe. The wagon jerked a little as Joe followed Dimar down the rough mountain road that led to Bird-town. Tsa'ni winced, and steadied himself by grasping the side of the wagon. Mandie leaned against the side and drew her knees up, thinking of the scrap of paper, and if they could find the rest of it. It might just pay to give the border another visit, and see if they could discover anything about the men's curious work.

* * *

It's another short/slightly boring one, I know (sorry!), but things will soon be heating up, I promise!

I'd like to thank all of the attendees of this first Official Senator Morten Fan Club meeting. It's going to be a really great year for us SM fangirls!

This update's question: Mandie's been pretty much everywhere in southeastern USA, as well as a few states up north _and_ all over Europe. What has been your favorite location Mandie visits/returns to throughout the books? I'm obviously a big fan of the Charley Gap moments, as well as the Cherokee reservation. However, I also loved when they were in St. Augustine and I thought their time in Rome in _The Silent Catacombs_ was super cool.


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